Return to Sabaody Arc
by XFangHeartX
Summary: A rendition of the Return to Sabaody Arc, featuring my OC, Blizzard. Post-timeskip. LuffyXNami and maybe some ZoroXRobin near the end. Summary inside. Read and review, and no flames or hate, please.
1. Two Years Later

One Piece: Return to Sabaody Arc

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Fake Blizzard © Me

* * *

Summary- The Straw Hats are back. Two years have passed since their and after their training, they have returned to the promised place: the Sabaody Archipelago. However, with a group of pirates posing as the Straw Hats, how will things turn out? And have the real Straw Hats really grown stronger than ever before?

* * *

****Read "Long Time, No See" before this one.

* * *

**Ch. 1- Two Years Later**

The Sabaody Archipelago. The final checkpoint in the first half of the Grand Line before the New World.

It was supposed to be another usual day at Shakky's Rip-Off Bar. It was almost sunset, but the bar was empty, save for two sole people.

**TINK!** An ice cube inside a glass of beer fell.

"Well, well. It's been two years, already. Time sure flies, huh?"

"You can say that again, Shakky."

Shakky chuckled in her throat as she watched Rayleigh take a drink.

"I wonder how much everyone has grown in the past two years," she said. "It'd be good to see them all again. Especially Sugar."

"Now, hang on there," Rayleigh. "Don't be so hasty. We're not even sure if everyone can get together, safely. After all, their infamy has become known throughout the world."

Suddenly, **KREEEK! DING-DING!** The door opened, causing the bell to ring, and a shadowy figure stepped in. However, Shakky and Rayleigh seemed to sense that this person meant no harm, for they looked at him with smiling faces.

"Well, now," Shakky said. "Look who's here."

"Long time, no see, eh?" asked Rayleigh.

"Yeah. Where is everybody?

"Hmm? Oh! They're not here, yet. You're the first to arrive."

"…I'm the first, huh? Heh-heh…some things never change."

XXX

Ten days later, the island is alive with chatter.

"Have you heard the latest?"

"Yeah! The greenhorns who managed to survive the first half of the Grand Line are all gathering on this island!"

"I got really excited when Kidd, Drake, Law, and all the others came two years ago, and now that generation is wreaking all sorts of havoc on the New World, now. This bunch isn't of their caliber, but there are a few of them with bounties of over 100,000,000 Berries on their heads, here."

"Yeah, but this one here surprises me the most! Get a look at this!"

A pirate handed a flyer to his friend. It read, "CREW WANTED by Monkey D. Luffy."

"Monkey D. Luffy? Didn't that kid and his crew die, two years ago?"

"That's what the world wanted us to think. The Straw Hat Pirates suddenly showed up here, this morning!"

"By the looks of this flyer, he's recruiting. He must want to expand his crew so he can plunder the New World! Oh, now I'm getting excited! I think I might join this kid!"

XXX

Meanwhile, at the Sabao Dome, a concert hall in Sabaody Park, Grove 33, a huge crowd has gathered outside.

"Oh, come on! You're kidding me!" said a man. "Can't you give us backstage passes or something?! My girlfriend and I have been dying to see this show!"

"I'm sorry, sir, but tickets are sold out! There's no way there'd be any left if!"

"Are you kidding?! This is the last concert of a superstar, here! Soul King Brook's Farewell Concert!"

"I'm sorry, but the concert hall is packed to capacity!"

XXX

Inside the backstage room of the concert hall, it is revealed that someone is preparing for a concert.

**TWANG! TWANG!** The strings on a guitar are heard being tuned.

"Mi-mi-mi-mi-mi~! Do re mi fa so la ti do~!"

**KNOCK! KNOCK!** A knock on the door.

"Five minutes till showtime, Mister Soul King!"

"Excellent. YOHOHOHOHO!"

It is revealed that this "Soul King" is revealed to Brook, the Straw Hat Pirates' musician. He is still skeleton, of course, but now, he has changed from his gentlemanly outfit to more colorful and high-end attire, as if to represent a type of rock star. He now wears heart-shaped sunglasses with pink lenses, a golden yellow feather boa around his neck, a top hat with a giant golden crown on the brim and orange-red trousers with a floral design.

After Brook had been captured by the Long-Arm Tribe, he has since become a musical sensation known as "Soul King Brook", and has gone a world tour for the past two years. He has decided that today should be his last concert, for he had other plans involving an old friend.

"Oh, Mr. Manager," Brook said. "Let's make this the greatest concert ever, shall we?"

"Oh, definitely!" said Brook's manager. "Our TD sales are through the roof, thanks to you! You truly are the soul music king of the world, Brook! Listen to those cheers!"

"Before we do this concert," Brook began, "there's something important I must tell you."

"Huh? What's that, Brook?"

XXX

Five minutes later, an audience has gathered around the stage in the concert hall and is cheering one name.

"Brook! Brook! Brook! Brook! Brook!"

**TINK! TINK! TINK! TINK!** The sound of a cymbal being tapped is heard.

"**Ladies and gentlemen! Please, put your hands together for SOUL KING BROOK~!"**

**BA-BA-BA-BONE~!** The lights came on, and Brook's face appeared on a giant screen on the stage, sending the audience screaming with cheers.

"**HEY~!"** Brook yelled into a microphone. **"I'm all BONES~!"**

"IT'S HIM!"

"IT'S SOUL KING BROOK!"

Some of the girls in the audience are in tears at the sight of Brook.

"Melinda? Why are you crying?!"

"Because I love him so much~!"

"AAAAAAAH! SOUL KING, WE LOVE YOU~!"

Some of the audience members started fainting, which caused the security guards to come.

"Whoa! Hey! Someone, get a stretcher! These people are dropping like flies!"

"**YOHOHOHOHO~!"** Brook laughed. **"HELLO, SABAODY~! LET'S MAKE TONIGHT THE BEST ANNIVERSARY EVER~!"**

The crowd cheered.

XXX

Meanwhile, at Grove 44 at the island's shoreline…

"Hmm…" **GASP!** "Oh~! Locked on target!"

Two women turned and saw a man with blonde hair staring at them with hearts. Well…visible eye in this case, considering that his right eye hidden.

"Women~!" Sanji swooned. "Real live women~!"

Sanji now has his right eye covered by his hair, now revealing his left eye (which is revealed to also have a swirled eyebrow, both of which are curled to the right), and his hair has grown somewhat slightly longer. He has also grown a dark brown goatee and some stubble on his upper lip. His neck has gotten thicker with muscle, and he now wears a black and yellow 3-piece suit.

Sanji may've physically changed, but after spending two years in the Peachy Kingdom, it appears his perverted nature has not changed a bit. In fact, it looks like it got even worse.

"This island is flocking are flocking with real beauties~," Sanji said with tears in his eyes and drool seeping from his mouth, much to the disgust of the women. "Just like the ones I've dreamed of, day after day these last two years!"

"Uh…who is that?" asked one of the ladies.

"I don't know, but he's so weird!" answered the other.

"VIVA SABAODY~!" Sanji cheered. "GIMME THEM LADIES~!"

The girls screamed and ran away from Sanji.

Behind Sanji is the cross-dressers of the Peachy Kingdom.

"Well, then, Sanji dear," said one of them, "looks like this is where we say goodbye! We'll miss you!"

"Well, I WON'T!" Sanji shouted, showing his middle finger to the cross-dressers. "I never wanna see you monsters, ever again! But, still, thanks for the ride here, and give Iva my regards and all that crap."

With that, Sanji turned and ran off.

"Wait for me, Nami and Robin, my dears~!" he swooned, tearfully. "Sanji, your knight in shining armor, has returned from Hell!"

"He's as wild and unruly as ever," said one of the cross-dressers, "but you know boys always pretend to hate the girls they like the most!"

"I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about him!" said another.

XXX

Meanwhile, in a certain tavern somewhere in the lawless part of the Sabaody Archipelago, a young woman in her 20s with long, orange hair, a tattoo consisting of a pinwheel and a tangerine, and dressed in nothing but a pair of skinny low-rise jeans and a striped bikini top is sitting at the counter, having a conversation with the barkeep.

"Have you heard the latest?" the barkeep asked. "Marine Headquarters has moved."

"Oh, has it?" asked the woman. "I thought it was around here, at Marineford."

"Not anymore," said the barkeep. "They traded locations with a branch called G-1 that was on the other side of the Red Line. The new Fleet Admiral who took Sengoku's place made the decision. They placed their new HQ in the waters where the Four Emperors reign! And since they left, two years ago, the Sabaody Archipelago has become even more lawless than before!"

"Oh," said the woman. "So that's what happened to this place, huh?"

She picked up her glass and was about to take a drink, but then…

"What?! Are you freaking serious?! A bounty 55,000,000 Berries?!"

**BANG!**

"AAAAAAAAAAUGH! OH, GOD!"

**THUD!** A man fell to the floor, clutching his leg in pain. Sitting in front of him are a group of people.

The first is a rather large and obese middle-aged man. His face is very broad with his forehead jutting prominently outward, almost concealing his eyebrows entirely. He has facial hair that extends from the ends of his mouth to his chin, and his nose comprises of a narrow bridge, sloping outward, like his forehead, and ending in a large, wide, and rounded set of nostrils. His legs are thin, compared to the rest of his body, and hairy, and he seems to have this permanent grin on his face. He also has an X-shaped stitched scar on his belly and another stitched scar on his left shoulder. In his hand is a flintlock pistol. His attire consists of a red vest and blue shorts, as well as a rather unkempt straw hat with a red-and-black striped band on his head, and a pair of boots, and underneath his eye with a scar with a scar with his three-stitched scar.

The second is a morbidly obese white dog with ropes of drool hanging out of his mouth. He had a bit of underbite, considering his lower jaw extended beyond his upper jaw, revealing his lower canines. Around his neck is an iron chain.

The third is a short, potbellied woman with a wide face and short hair with a bun near the top of her head. She wears a polka-dotted top and a lavender skirt, bearing a rather portly midriff. She wears a tattoo that looked like the one the young woman at the counter is wearing. She also wears black high heels.

The fourth is a tall, skinny man with a long neck, thick lips and no chin. He wears a flowered shirt and a haircut pointing upward. He wears a pair of black sunglasses that do not go on his ears, but instead on his nose, and is smoking a cigarette. He wears a pair of pants, a Hawaiian shirt that is buttoned up, and a pair of brown shoes.

The fifth and last is a man at the same size and obesity as the first man. He wears a mask similar to the Sniper King, only larger and more exaggerated and it doesn't fully cover his face. The long nose also seems to be a part of the mask. The horns on the mask are straighter and rounder. He wears striped pants and a dark red cape, similar to that of the Sniper King's, and a plain shirt. He also wears brown boots and a yellow sash around his waist. He has large, curly, black hair and a thick beard.

Whoever these people. they may say that they are the Straw Hat Pirates…but they are definitely not.

"Why don't you take a second look at the flyer, moron?" asked "Luffy". "I only want people with bounties of 70,000,000 Berries or more! Otherwise, we're not accepting any other low-class pirates below that level! I'm even surprised that you managed to make it far with a measly little bounty like yours!"

"D…damn you!" cursed the pirate whom "Luffy" had shot.

"Get lost, you piece of crap!" "Luffy" said. "Don't you know who I am?! I'm the son of the Revolutionary Dragon!"

"Hee-hee…" giggled "Nami".

"We don't want any weaklings on our crew!" said "Sniper King". "We're the chosen ones, pal! We're the Straw Hat Pirates, the elite pirate band, and we only take the best of the best!"

"Go on! Get outta here!" "Luffy" shouted.

**BANG!** He shot at the pirate, again, causing him to scream before he limped out.

The patrons in the tavern only watched in disgust and fear, murmuring amongst themselves.

"Damn, that Straw Hat Luffy is one ruthless son of a bitch."

"He's sure earned that reputation, all right."

"Hey, Franky!" "Luffy" called. "How many do we have so far?"

"Hmm," "Franky" hummed, looking at a list. "Tallying them up, I'd say that makes about a hundred people. Three full bands of pirates have been recruited, along with ten individuals with big bounties on their heads!"

"Two of which are those infamous rookies!" "Luffy" commented. "'Wet-Haired' Caribou and 'Blood Splatter' Coribou! They're well known for killing Marine soldiers! Those two brothers are pirate captains with bounties of 210,000,000 Berries and 190,000,000 Berries! DOHAHAHAHA! They'll certainly come in handy! Keep 'em coming, boys!"

The woman glared at the group of pirates before she turned away.

_Who the hell does he think he is, impersonating the man I love?_ she thought.

"Hey, barkeep!" "Luffy" called. "More grog, on the double! And you there, little lady! Don't just sit there, drinking alone! Why don't you come over here and sit next to me, huh? DOHAHAHAHA! You're pretty easy on the eyes, there!"

"Thanks, but no thanks," said the woman, sarcastically. "I'm waiting for my boyfriend."

Everyone gasped, and the room grew silent.

"Is that bitch crazy?!"

"She just turned him down!"

"Young lady, please!" the barkeep whispered to the woman. "Think this over! Don't you know who that is?! That's Straw Hat Luffy! He's that crazy pirate who leaped, headfirst, into the Paramount War two years ago, along with White Wolf Blizzard! You know! That one?!"

"Sniper King" broke into a laughter.

"You're waiting for your boyfriend, you say?" he asked. "He's probably some coward who'll faint at the sound Captain Luffy's name!"

"Look, don't be shy," "Luffy" said. "I'm in a good mood, right now! Just come over here and sit by me! I'm lonely~!"

"I'm not gonna tell you, again," said the woman as he turned to him, revealing her tawny brown eyes. "I am NOT gonna drink you! I have a boyfriend already, and if he came here, right now, and saw you trying to hit on me, he'd break both of your arms, twice, and kick your fat ass from here to Kingdom Come! You got that, Straw…what's your name, again?"

"Oh, man, she's a dead chick!" said one of the patrons.

"My name is Straw Hat Luffy!" "Luffy" boomed, holding his flintlock in his hand, but then, "Nami" took it away.

"Hang on there, captain," she said. "Let me deal with her."

"Nami" approached the woman and pointed the gun in front of her face.

"Look, girl," she said. "You've got two choices. Either you forget this 'boyfriend' of yours and accept Captain Luffy's invitation, or you get a face full of lead. Oh, and by the way, I forgot to mention, but I've got a bounty on my head, too. The name's 'Cat Burglar' Nami, and don't you forget it!"

The women appeared undeterred, and just when it appeared that she was about to be shot…

"Hey! Don't you know it's rude to hit on a girl who's already spoken for, as well as pull a gun on her?!"

"Huh?" "Luffy" muttered.

**KREEK!**

"Special Attack: Green Star…DEVIL!"

**TWANG! BOOM! CHOMP!** A pellet was fired, and from it, an explosion went off, followed by a giant flytrap emerging from it and trapping "Nami" in its jaws.

"AAAAAH!" she screamed. "What is this?!"

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" shouted "Luffy".

**WHAP!** The vines from the flytrap wrapped around the "Straw Hats", hanging them above the air.

While the woman seemed surprised and confusion by the situation, someone sat down next to her.

"Hey, there, little lady," said a young man. "Wanna have a drink with me?"

The woman turned to see a man with a familiar long nose. The man raised his hat with his finger, revealing his face.

The woman gasped and smiled.

"USOPP!" she cried.

"Long time, no see, huh Nami- OOF!"

**WHAP!** Nami pulled Usopp's face into her cleavage, which has grown quite a bit in the last two years.

"Yeah, long time, no see, huh, Usopp?" Nami asked, jumping up and down in delight. "Wow! Look at you! You looks so much bigger and stronger, now!"

"I see you've grown, as well," Usopp said, his voice muffled by Nami's breasts. "In more ways than one."

Nami pulled away from Usopp, who has indeed grown in the last two years. He was no longer obese, and his hair has grown. He has gained some more muscle and is a bit taller than he used to be. He now has a new pair of goggles around his neck and a pair of headphones on his ears. He also sports a little goatee and a new white sun cap on his head. He also has a new pair of rolled-up yellow pants with red suspenders and a pair of cowboy boots (without spurs). His trademark yellow satchel is replace with a red one, but he still wears his trademark blue-and-white striped arm band.

"Hey, Usopp," Nami said, pointing at the giant flytrap that was eating the Fake Straw Hats. "Did you do that?"

"Sure did!" Usopp said, proudly. "That there is my new weapon, the Pop Green! I wasn't just spending those last two years staring out at sea, you know! No offense, Nami, but I'm not part of that Weakling Trio with you and Chopper, anymore. I've gone up a whole new level! No matter what happens, I'll never run away! I've finally become a true warrior of the sea!"

"Hey, punk!" said the fake Sniper King, trapped in a vine. "Are you the one who did this?!"

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Usopp questioned. "THE SNIPER KING?! BUT HOW?!"

"Just ignore them, Usopp," said Nami. "Come on, let's go somewhere else so we can catch up. Besides, there's something I need to ask you, anyway."

As Nami proceed to drag Usopp out, the fake Luffy struggled to get out of the vines.

"Hey, you two!" he shouted. "Get back here! Don't you know who I am?!"

"Huh?! Luffy?!" Usopp questioned. "Have you put on weight?!"

"That's not him, Usopp!" Nami snapped.

"Wait, miss!" the barkeep called. "What about your drink?!"

"Get those two!" shouted the fake Luffy. "We gotta make an example of 'em!"

The fake Nami noticed strange bubbles in the air.

"What are these things?!" she asked.

**SLAM!** Nami and Usopp left the tavern.

**WHUFF! WHUFF! WHUFF! WHUFF!** Some dark clouds began to form in the bar.

"Huh?" the fake Luffy questioned. "Are those…storm clouds?"

**FWASH!** The clouds flashed.

"Uh-oh…"

XXX

**KRRZZZZZZT! BA-BA-BA-BA-BOOOOOOM!** There is clap of thunder, followed by a flash of lightning coming from inside the tavern, followed by screams as Nami and Usopp walked away.

"What?!" Usopp questioned. "You've been spending two years on a Sky Island?!"

"That's right," Nami said. "I get some new technology from it, too, but that's besides the point."

"So, what did you wanna ask me?" Usopp asked.

Nami suddenly stopped walking, and Usopp noticed that the navigator had her head down and her eyes hooded.

"Usopp," she began before she turned to face him, revealing a hopeful yet sad look in her eyes, "have you seen Luffy? Not the one you saw in the tavern. I mean the REAL Luffy."

"Oh!" Usopp said. "S…sorry, Nami. I checked with Rayleigh before I came by here. He said that he and Blizzard aren't here, yet, but they should be on their way."

Nami looked away.

"It figures," she said.

"…you really miss him, huh?" Usopp asked, sympathetically.

"Of course, I miss him!" Nami answered. "I miss him so much it hurts! Especially after…"

"…I know," Usopp said. "Ace's death."

"I've never seen Luffy look so distraught, before," Nami said, remembering her boyfriend's picture in the newspaper, two years ago. "And…when I saw Ace's body, I almost felt like I was about to throw up." She suddenly became angry.

"How could that idiot be so selfish?!" she questioned. "I wanted to be there for him, but he decides that he wants us to wait two years until we see him again! Where the hell does that bastard get off?!"

"Nami, calm down!" Usopp said. "People are watching!"

Nami took a deep breath and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"You're right," Nami said. "I guess I wasn't thinking for a minute."

"Hey! I know!" Usopp said. "Let's go shopping! That always cheers you up, right?"

"Yeah, good idea," Nami said. "Let's go."

With that, the two Straw Hat Pirates left.

XXX

Meanwhile, back inside the tavern, the fake Straw Hats emerged from the wreckage, and needless to say, the fake Luffy was furious.

"Find that bastard and that bitch," the fake Luffy began, "AND PUMP 'EM FULL OF LEAD!"

XXX

At Shakky's Rip-Off Bar, Sanji has found his way there, and he was more than happy to see Shakky, again. However, he soon got a rather overwhelming surprise.

"What?!" Sanji questioned. "You mean the dumb-ass swordsman got here first?! Man, the seas are gonna be rough for our restart!"

"Franky came second," Shakky said. "He came ten days ago and went straight for your ship."

"Oh, so _Sunny_ is safe," Sanji commented. "That's good."

"Yep," Rayleigh agreed. "She didn't get so much as scratch on her, but you should really thank _him_."

"Yeah," Sanji said before he turned to Duval and the Rosy Life Riders, who are all covered in bandages.

The Rosy Life Riders spent the last two years defending the _Thousand Sunny_ from those who wanted to steal or destroy her, and according to Rayleigh, they did a pretty good job of it, too.

"Think nothing of it, Young Master Sanji!" exclaimed Duval, who is in a fully body cast. "Call it a badge of honor! I regret absolutely nothing!"

"Yeah! It's only gonna take him a year to recover!" exclaimed the Rosy Life Riders.

"We owe you, big time, Duval," said Sanji. "I didn't realize how dutiful you and your men can be."

"Huh? Handsome?" Duval questioned, once again misinterpreting the statement, and giving a rather crooked wink. "HAHAHAHA! I was only trying to pay you back, Young Master Sanji! Through rain, shine, storm, and snow, I stood my ground and protected your ship from those bloodthirsty ne'er-do-wells, day-after-day-after-day! I may've been hurt all over…but I kept fighting until the very end!"

"Oh, boss!" the Rosy Life said, tearfully.

"Nami came third," said Shakky.

"Really?!" Sanji asked, excitedly. "NAMI, MY DEAR~! Where is she?! Where?! I must see her smiling face!"

"Oh, she got a bit lonely, so she left to do some shopping," Shakky replied. "Poor thing. She really misses Monkey."

"Oh, yeah," Sanji said. "Poor Nami…and Luffy, too. I mean…the guy lost his brother, for crying out loud!"

"Hey!" Duval called. "What about my epic struggle?! Have you forgotten about me, already?!"

"Usopp came fourth," Shakky continued. "He got here about three days ago. When he heard Nami went off on her own, he went to go find her and keep her company."

"What?!" Sanji questioned. "Why that no good punk! I ought to break his long nose in two! He better not put any of the moves on Nami!"

_Nami's shopping!_ the perverted cook thought. _I hope she gets something really sexy!_

"Chopper came fifth," Shakky said. "He got here, yesterday, and then you showed up. Brook came to the island for a concert, today. So, counting you, there are already seven of you on the Archipelago."

"Wait, back up a minute," Sanji said. "Concert? What concert?"

"Oh, didn't you know?" Shakky asked. "Brook's become a famous music star in the last two years."

"Music star, huh?" asked Sanji. "I wonder if he's even been training."

"Nico Robin, Blizzard, and Luffy are the only ones who haven't come yet," said Rayleigh. It's no easy feat just getting to the island, alone."

"I didn't know that you were the one who trained Luffy, Rayleigh," Sanji mused. "He must be a hell of a lot stronger, now, huh?"

"I haven't seen him in six months," said Rayleigh. "I can't wait to see how much that man and his dog have grown!"

"And I can't wait to see how much Nami and Robin have grown~!" Sanji swooned as blood came leaking out of his nose.

"Uh…are you gonna be all right?" Rayleigh asked.

XXX

Somewhere else in the Sabaody Archipelago…

"Reporting from the Sabaody Archipelago. Target located. Repeat: we have located Nico Robin."

"**Good. Remember, don't kill her. Bring her back here, alive."**

Behind one of the buildings, it is revealed that Robin is hiding there, panting like she had just run a marathon and holding two flyers in her hands.

Robin has let her grow out, all the way down to her lower back, and she pulled it back, as well, revealing her forehead and ears. Her outfit consists of a long pink sarong and a partially zipped purple leather vest with a V-neckline and a rose printed on the left breast near the shoulder. She wears a pair of sunglasses, pink high-heeled pumps, and slung over her shoulder is a pink backpack.

Like Nami, her chest has gotten larger.

"It looks I lost them," Robin said, catching her breath, before she looked down at the flyers in her hands. One is a flyer for Soul King Brook's Farewell Concert and the other is the recruiting notice for the Fake Straw Hats.

"Soul King Brook's concert?" Robin questioned. "Pirates wanted for the Straw Hat Pirates?" She removed her sunglasses. "What is going on here?"

XXX

At Grove 47...

"Hey! Zoro! Sanji! Robin! There you are! What happened to you guys? I haven't seen you in ages!"

Tony-Tony Chopper is walking through the grove, carrying his "explorer's stick". He hasn't seem to have changed, very much, though, aside from his clothing. He now wears a blue helmet with a ring of white dots around the circle over his treasured pink hat. He also wears a white-and-yellow vertically striped tank top and a pair of orange shorts. He also seems a bit slimmer, but he still has that cute face.

Right now, Chopper is following who he thinks are his old friends, but if he had taken a closer look, he would see that they're anything but.

The first is a middle-aged man with a beer gut, chubby face, thick eyebrows. He has angry eyebrows and thick lips. He has green hair, and three earrings on his left ear, and a plain shirt. He also wears a metal-studded belt and a pair of shorts with the number 34 on them, as well as a pair of blue and white shoes.

The second is a very pale and skinny man with bags under his eyes and a pointed chin. His hair is parted, like Sanji's hair, only it looks more like an afro. He wears a black suit with a blue shirt and black tie, but it's loose-fitted. He also has a somewhat swirled eyebrow, like Sanji.

The third is a very short and plain woman. She has shoulder-length hair and her nose is flat, like Robin's, only wider between the eyes and longer. She wears a plain dark purple dress, carries a purse, and has red high heel shoes.

The fourth is a light brown fox with black legs, has a curly-Q mustache, and a chain leash around his neck. He wears a pink top hat like Chopper's, only this one doesn't have the pink "X".

"I've never seen Zoro and Sanji be so friendly to each other, before," Chopper mused. "I guess two years really can change how a person acts! Hey, guys! Why are you all ignoring me? It's me! Chopper! Don't tell me you don't recognize me!"

"Hey," whispered the fake Zoro. "Why is that talking raccoon dog following? What does it want?"

"Hey, guys, look at this!" said the fake Sanji, who is holding Chopper's wanted poster.

The two men looked back at Chopper, who still beamed at them.

"They noticed me!" he said. "Hey, guys! It's me! You all look kind of different, but that's okay! I can still tell it's you!"

"It's one of the Straw Hats' real pets, Chopper the Cotton Candy Lover," said the fake Sanji. "He's worth 50 Berries! The Straw Hats must've dumped him here on the island when they were still alive. I guess they thought White Wolf Blizzard would make a stronger pet. Looks like he's gone feral or something."

"That's it!" whispered the fake Zoro. "He must think we're his masters! No wonder he's following us! I say we ditch the fox and keep the real deal! If our pet looks like the one on the wanted poster, we'll look even more convincing!"

"That's a good idea," said the fake Robin, "but what does it eat?"

"Cotton candy!" answered the fake Sanji. "What do you think?!"

"But we don't have any!" the fake Robin said.

"Well, do something!" the fake Sanji said.

"Get out of here!" the fake Robin said to the fake Chopper. "Go on! Shoo!"

**THWAK!** She kicked the fox away, causing him to yelp in pain.

"Huh?" Chopper muttered.

"Oh, Chopper," said the fake Robin as she approached the little reindeer, holding a cucumber in her hand. "Come here, cutie. I have a cucumber for you!"

**CHOMP!** The fake Chopper bit the fake Robin on her head, causing it to bleed.

_Robin's gotten scarier,_ Chopper thought, sweat dropping.

"NOW!"

All of a sudden, two men appeared out of nowhere, holding a large sack, and charged at the fake Robin, who gasped in shock. **WHUP! ZOOOOM!** The men grabbed the fake Robin and the fake Chopper, put her in the sack, and raced away.

"AAH!" Chopper yelped. "ROBIN!"

"What?!" the fake Sanji asked. "Nico Robin?! Where?! …oh, wait."

"Oh, no!" Chopper cried. "Robin's been kidnapped by human traffickers!"

XXX

In Grove 12, the real Robin is walking through the lawless area, headed to Shakky's Rip-Off Bar.

"**Reporting from the Sabaody Archipelago. We've capture Nico Robin, as well as a fox that's bitten her and won't let go!"**

"I'd better hurry," Robin said. "I wonder if the others made it here, yet."

XXX

Marineford (former Marine Headquarters), Marine Branch G-1.

Everyone is in an uproar.

"The Straw Hat Pirates have reappeared at the Sabaody Archipelago?!"

"Yes, sir! It appears that they're recruiting, sir!"

Vice-Admiral Momonga seethed.

"To think, we actually thought that they were dead after all these years," he thought aloud. "Contact Headquarters! If Straw Hat Luffy and his crew really are alive, then we'll need reinforcements, right away!"

"Yes, sir, Vice-Admiral Momonga!"

XXX

Back at the Sabaody Archipelago, there is chaos in another part of the lawless area.

"SOMEONE'S BEEN SHOT!"

It is revealed that the fake Luffy has shot a woman with long hair, and her boyfriend, a man with a long nose and a white sun cap.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" shouted the man. "Why did you shoot at us?! What in the hell did we ever do to you?!"

"I said I was sorry, didn't I?" asked the fake Luffy. "I was only looking for these two people who look like you. A man with a long nose and a bitch with long hair. What? You got a problem with me, pal?"

"You…you bastard!" the man said.

"Looks like you do," said the fake Luffy.

**BANG!** He fired his gun at the man, shooting him in the leg.

"AAAAAAAAUGH!" he screamed.

The crowd watched in disgust and fear.

"That Straw Hat Luffy is so cruel…!"

"Hey! Are you two all right?!" asked a nearby bystander. "Hang in there! I'll get you to the hospital!"

"Find those two!" shouted the fake Luffy. "Find those two, so I can rip their heads.

While fake Luffy was ranting, he didn't notice that someone walking through the city. No one could tell what he looked like, though, because he is wearing a hooded cloak and carrying a backpack. By his side is a wolf-like dog as big as a horse wearing a red-and-white striped scarf and two scars: one on the left side of his nose and a big cross-shaped scar on his left shoulder.

Suddenly, **WHUMP! THUD!** The stranger's backpack bumped into the fake Luffy by accident.

"Oops!" said the stranger. "Did I bump into you? Sorry about that. This backpack is so big and kinda hard to carry. Anyway, I'm in a hurry, so I gotta go. Let's go, buddy!"

**WOOF!** The dog barked before the two walked on, while the crowd looked completely stunned and began murmuring amongst themselves.

"Is that kid out of his mind?!"

"Doesn't he know that that's Straw Hat Luffy?!"

"He and that dog are dead meat!"

"HEY, YOU, WITH THE MUTT!" shouted the fake Luffy. "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"

The stranger stopped in his tracks, and he and the dog turned, revealing their faces to be the real Monkey D. Luffy and Blizzard.

"Huh?" Luffy muttered.

_What the hell does that fat-ass want?_ Blizzard thought.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

****Review, please!


	2. 10 Pirates

**Ch. 2- 10 Pirates**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Fake Blizzard © Me

* * *

_Flashback; about an hour ago_

On the Kuja Pirates' ship…

"There's the Sabaody Archipelago in the distance."

"Yeah! I can see it! Thanks for bringing me all the way back, here, Hancock! I owe you, big time!"

"I'm sorry, Luffy, but I'm afraid this is as far as we can take you and Blizzard. No one must find out about our relationship."

"Oh. Okay."

Hancock holds up a fake nose and mustache.

"You should wear this," said Hancock.

"HAHAHAHA!" Luffy laughed. "No way! I don't need that!"

_Clearly, he doesn't,_ Blizzard thought.

"Is that so?" Hancock asked. "Well, then, keep your face hidden, at least."

Luffy is wearing Hancock's cloak, but Blizzard is just wearing the scarf that Shakky made for Rayleigh.

"Right now, the whole world thinks you're dead," said Hancock. "But thanks to what happened, two years ago, the whole world knows your faces. If you and Blizzard are discovered, you may not be able to make it off these islands."

"Okay," Luffy said.

Hancock then turned to a gigantic backpack.

"Here are some supplies for you," said Hancock. "I packed 500 changes of clothes, 1,000 boxed lunches, a five-year supply of handkerchiefs, tissues, and towels. There's also a three-year supply of drinking water and snacks, and silverware, a three year supply of toothbrushes, hand lotion, and bug bite ointment, and-"

"PACK IT LIGHTER!" Elder Nyon shouted.

_Damn!_ Blizzard thought. _She acts more like Luffy's mother!_

After lightening the load in the backpack, Luffy and Blizzard prepared to go ashore.

"If you and Blizzard ever need us, Luffy," Hancock said, "the Kuja Pirates will always be ready to come to your aid. Don't forget that."

"Thanks for everything, guys!" Luffy said to the Kuja Warriors.

"Good luck, Luffy," Marguerite said.

"Oh! And Marguerite, tell your nieces I said 'bye', will you?" Luffy asked.

"Of course," said Marguerite.

After Marguerite became one of the Kuja Warriors, she realized she needed someone to take care of her nieces, Hibiscus, Buttercup, and Daffodil, so she left them back on Amazon Lily with Belladonna, the doctor of the Kuja.

"Luffy," Hancock said. "Before you and Blizzard leave…I have one more request."

_Oh, no,_ Blizzard thought. _What does this crazy chick want now?!_

"I already said I'm not gonna marry you," Luffy said. "Besides, I've got a girlfriend, remember?"

"I-I know," Hancock said, "but it's not about that. You may leave…but please…don't say goodbye."

"Is that it?" Luffy asked, smiling. "I never say goodbye to anyone, especially my friends! That's because I always wanna see 'em again!"

Hancock gasped, blushing.

_Dammit, Luffy, you did it, again!_ Blizzard thought.

XXX

Luffy stands in a dinghy, which is being pulled by Blizzard as he swims through the water.

"We're off~!" Luffy called to the Kuja.

"Farewell!"

"See you later, Luffy and Blizzard!"

"Good luck to you~!"

"See ya~!" Luffy called.

Meanwhile, Hancock is blushing as red as a tomato.

"He said that…he wanted to see me again," she whispered. "Could it be…are we…engaged?!"

"OF COURSE NYOT!" shouted Elder Nyon.

_Flashback end_

In Grove 47 of the Sabaody Archipelago, the fake Straw Hats surrounded Luffy and Blizzard, glaring at him with malicious grins, while the crowd watched, terrified.

"You bumped into me on purpose, didn't you?" the fake Luffy questioned. "You and that damn dog of yours embarrassed me in front of my men and all these people! Do you have any idea who I am, kid?! You made a fool of me in public!"

He pointed his gun right into the real Luffy's cheek.

"I'm an elite pirate with a bounty of 400,000,000 Berries! STRAW HAT LUFFY!" he shouted before he turned to the fake Blizzard. "My dog, Blizzard, and I were the ones who wreaked havoc in Marineford, two years ago! You should be down on your knees, begging for your life!"

**ARF!** Blizzard's impostor barked, and the real Blizzard sneered in disgust.

_Who is this fat ass trying to kid?!_ he thought.

"You should listen to him," said the fake Nami. "Just a minute ago, a man with a long nose and woman with long, orange hair embarrassed us. The captain's in a really bad mood, right now, so hurry up!"

Luffy just stood there, and Blizzard growled, but Luffy yanked his scarf, forcing him to stop.

"Don't," Luffy whispered into his ear.

"One wrong move, now, you and that dog are buzzard food," said the fake Franky. "The captain has a hair trigger, you know what I mean?"

The crowd shivered and murmured amongst each other.

"Just do it, kid!" said one man. "You're go up against the Straw Hat Pirates!"

_Seriously?_ Blizzard thought. _Okay, the world must've gotten really stupid in the last two years. If they took a closer look, they'd see that these posers are NOT the real Straw Hat Pirates!_

"Sorry I bumped into you," Luffy said, "but I really gotta get going."

With that, Luffy and Blizzard walked away, again, but Luffy's overstuffed backpack bumped into his impostor. The crowd gasped in horror.

"Oh, no!"

**CHAK!** The fake Luffy pointed his gun at the real Luffy's head.

"Fine," he said, "but you asked for it, kid!"

"AAAAAAAH!" a woman screamed.

**BANG!** The gun is fired, and time seemed to slow down.

In mere seconds, Luffy pulled back out of the gun's line of fire before the bullet could hit him, even thought it wouldn't harm him, due to his rubber body. However, considering the fact that everyone would see the bullet bounce off of him, that probably would've blown his cover, and Hancock told him to stay out of trouble.

Then, Luffy looked up at the fake Straw Hats, and then, **VEEN!** He gave them all a death glare. As Luffy and Blizzard walked away, **THUD!** The fake Straw Hats fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth, which shocked the crowd.

"W…what did that kid do?!"

Blizzard looked at Luffy and smiled.

"I know I could've easily bounced that bullet back," said Luffy, "but Hancock said that no one should recognize us, or we won't be able to leave."

_Using your head, for once,_ Blizzard thought. _I kinda like that._

"Hey, Blizzard," said Luffy. "Why don't you go on without me?"

Blizzard gave Luffy an inquisitive look.

"I'm just saying," Luffy said. "Hancock says not to blow our cover. If people see us together like this, they'll get suspicious. Just go on. I'll catch up with you, later."

Blizzard nodded and prepared to walk away.

"Oh, and one more thing," Luffy said. "If you see Nami…tell her that she doesn't have to worry, anymore, okay?"

Blizzard smiled and nodded again before he walked away, and Luffy went off in another direction.

"Maybe I should get something to eat, while I'm here," he thought aloud. "I should probably put on that mustache, too."

XXX

In Grove 17...

"Finally," said Robin. "I found you."

Robin has finally made it to the _Thousand Sunny_, who is covered in a strange coating.

"It's good to see you again, _Sunny_," said Robin. "I'm sorry we made you wait those to long years, but I'm so glad you're safe."

As Robin went on board…

"Huh? Hey! Who's that sexy lady?!"

Robin looked up and saw someone.

"Could it be our SUPER archeologist…NICO ROBIN?!"

**KLANK!** Franky flashed his signature pose.

A pause came.

"…it's good to see you, too, Franky," said Robin with a smile.

Yes, it is indeed Franky. He has shaved his hair in a buzz cut, and also has two stitched-up scars on his torso running down from the back of his neck, which indicated that he had sewn his skin back on after it burned off after that incident in Baldimore, the Mechanical Island, and making it seem more than likely that he has finally fashioned his metal exoskeleton to wrap around his entire body, and not just his visible front (since he couldn't do any work on his backside considering he was doing it himself).

His shoulders, torso, and arms are also much bigger than before, and with studded hands that look almost robotic in appearance. He now appears to be wearing metal-rigged suspenders. He has replaced his elbows with large, light blue hinges, his shoulders with a large red ball and socket joint with "BF-37" written on them, and his trademark star has been re-tattooed and split by an edge. He still wears his signature Speedo, but now, he wears a red palm tree-motif Hawaiian shirt.

"I see you haven't changed very much," Robin commented.

"Oh, I've changed, all right!" said Franky. "Just look at this body! I'm the stuff dreams are made of! Behold, the greatest transformation of all time! I'm beyond human comprehension!"

"Well, you're certainly right about that," said Robin. "I have absolutely no idea what you are, now."

"Huh?" Franky murmured. "You saying I'm a freak or something? Aw, that's sweet of ya!"

"So, this is the new ship's coating, huh?" Robin asked as she poked the coating. "It feels like jelly."

"You got that right!" Franky said. "Rayleigh sure is a genius! Now we can sail the depths of the sea! Isn't technology beautiful?! By the way, I went to see Rayleigh, already. You went down to the bar, right? What number are you?"

"I'm number eight," said Robin. "Luffy and Blizzard are the last ones."

"That's SUPER great!" Franky said as he sat down on a lawn chair. "That means we'll be heading out, real soon! I've finished the maintenance and installed all the new weaponry, too! HAHAHAHA!"

"Who else is here?" Robin asked.

"Well, according to Rayleigh, Zoro made it here, first," said Franky. "Then I got here, and then Nami came, but then she left to go shopping. Usopp came fourth. He went to go buy fuel and maybe keep company until Luffy comes back. Chopper came fifth, followed by Brook, and then Sanji, who went go to buy food for the road, and last, there's you!"

"Uh-huh," Robin said. "Franky? Can I ask you something?"

Franky nodded as he drank some cola.

"Do you know anything about this?" Robin asked as she showed Franky the poster for Brook's concert. "About Brook's concert?"

"Oh, yeah!" Franky replied. "Brook's TD's are selling everywhere! Can you believe it? HE traversed the dark seas of despair and emerged a dazzling music star! He's standing on a SUPER glorious stage being cheered by an army of adoring fans! But…there's the possibility…that he may not wanna be a pirate anymore."

"Hmm…something tells me that's not likely," Robin mused.

XXX

In the Sabao Dome, Brook is up on stage, singing his song, Bone to Be Wild.

"**Wow! Living in the South Blue!**

**Yeah! So shaggy!**

**But I got no beard~!"**

The crowd cheered.

XXX

In Grove 47...

"Hey, Captain!"

"Captain, Luffy!"

"Luffy! It's you! I missed you, so much! Hey, are you feeling okay? Especially after…you know?"

The fake Zoro and Sanji (who have been followed by Chopper) have returned to the fake Luffy, Nami, Franky, and Sniper King. The fake Blizzard, however, is nowhere to be seen.

"What the hell happened to you guys?!" asked the fake Sanji.

"Luffy! Nami! Franky!" Chopper exclaimed, joyfully. "Huh? Sniper King?!"

"I…I suddenly felt this chill," said the fake Luffy, sitting on a crate. "What sort of trick did that kid pull off?"

"You guys sure do look different," Chopper said. "But I bet you guys are whole lot stronger, huh?"

"Hey," said the fake Zoro. "Where's Bro- err…I mean, 'Blizzard'?"

"He's still unconscious," answered the fake Nami.

"Huh?! Blizzard's unconscious?!" Chopper asked. "Maybe I should look at him!"

"Anyway, captain, we have bigger fish to fry," said the fake Zoro. "Cocoa…I mean, 'Robin'…she…err…"

"Hey," whispered a nearby pirate. "Aren't those the Straw Hat Pirates? What are they doing on the street?"

"Well, what happened is…" another pirate answered.

"What did you say, Zoro?!" questioned the fake Luffy. "Robin got kidnapped!"

"Oh, yeah!" Chopper said. "Luffy, that's what I came to tell you! Robin's been-"

"Who did it?!" the fake Luffy asked.

"We don't know!" answered the fake Zoro.

"It might've been human traffickers, Luffy!" Chopper exclaimed. "Just like with Camie!"

"It was probably someone who holds a grudge against the real Nico Robin," the fake Sanji whispered, "and they mistook Cocoa for her."

"That's possible," whispered the fake Luffy. "They do look a lot alike. Looks like the hoax worked against us, this time."

"Hey, what are you guys whispering about?" asked Chopper.

"Whatever," said the fake Luffy. "Forget about Robin. It was fate that she got captured."

"Huh?" the fake Zoro muttered. "Uh…okay, captain."

"WHAT?!" Chopper questioned. "Luffy, Robin's been kidnapped! And you're saying to forget about her?!"

"Who gives a damn?!" asked the fake Luffy. "Anyway, have the hundred pirates we recruited here assemble at Grove 46! The man with the long nose, the bitch with the long, orange hair, the guy with the huge backpack, and his stupid dog! Find all four of 'em and make 'em regret the day they embarrassed Straw Hat Luffy!"

"Yes, captain!" the fake Straw Hats said.

"Wait a minute, Luffy!" Chopper said. "What's happened to you?! Did your completely change in the last two years?! You're making so sad, I wanna cry! What's gonna happen to Robin?! Why won't anyone say anything!"

Chopper then gasped.

"I get it," he said. "Ace…when he died, it changed you, Luffy! It hurt you so badly, that you decided that the only way to get by in life is to be cruel and heartless like all the other pirates in the world! Well…I WON'T HAVE IT! I'm gonna go and save Robin, even if I have to do it alone!"

With that, the little heartbroken reindeer ran away.

"Hang on, Robin!" he called. "I'll save you!"

Little did anyone know that two Marine soldiers, who are hiding behind a nearby building, have been eavesdropping on the whole thing.

"Looks like they had a falling out," said the first soldier, peering around the corner. "But there's no mistaking it. The Straw Hat Pirates may look different than they did, two years ago, but no one else would keep such a strange animal for a pet."

"Those guys are definitely the Straw Hat Pirates," said the other soldier. "They're alive, after all!"

The Marine pulled out a Baby Transponder Snail.

"Reporting from Grove 47. Straw Hat Pirates confirmed. I repeat: Straw Hat Pirates confirmed!"

XXX

At the Marine base in Grove 66...

"**The Straw Hats intend to gather the pirate they recruited here at Grove 46!"**

"Understood. Evacuate the civilians, at once."

"**Yes, sir!"**

Inside the base, the Marine troops are hurrying out the door, preparing to surround the pirates.

"The pirates are gathering at Grove 46! The target is the Straw Hat Pirates! We will now enter the lawless zone of the island!"

"All hands, prepare for battle! Blockade Groves 40, 42, and 44!"

"Reinforcements from G-1 will arrive shortly!"

"I'm going on ahead…"

"Mister Sentomaru?!"

"And I'm taking PX-5, PX-6, and PX-7 with me."

"What?! You're taking the Pacifistas, too?!"

"Of course I am, you fools," Sentomaru answered.

Aside from the Marine coat he wears over his shoulders and the fact that he has removed his bandages, Sentomaru still wears the same outfit he did, two years ago.

"Would you ever underestimate the Straw Hat Pirates?" asked Sentomaru. "It's been two years since we last saw them. The Straw Hats are definitely a lot stronger than they were, before. They're far superior to the greenhorns gathering on the island! We never found out what Kuma's true intentions were, two years ago, but even after he lost his personality, seeing as how he continued to act strangely, I knew that somehow, Straw Hat Luffy would come back to the Sabaody Archipelago, one of these days! Now, let's move out!"

XXX

In Grove 42...

"Hey, fisherman! How's the catch today? You selling anything cheap?"

Sanji had come to a local fishmonger, hoping to buy some fish for the trip to Fishman Island, but for some reason, the fisherman who works there seemed panic.

"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" the fisherman said. "This is just terrible!"

"What's the matter?" asked Sanji.

"He's gone!" the fisherman answered. "The green-haired man that was here! He's gone!"

"Green hair…?" Sanji whispered. "Oh, dear lord, don't tell me…what happened to him?"

"It's just awful!" said the fisherman. "You see, there was this man with three swords. He came by here, saying he was bored and that he wanted to go fishing, so I told him he could come fishing with me if he wanted."

"He had green hair and three swords?" asked Sanji. "Was he wearing some kind of belly-warmer?"

"Yes!" answered the fishmonger. "And he only had one eye! You wouldn't happen to know him, would you?"

"One eye?" Sanji repeated.

**SHWUFF!** He reached into his pocket and pulled out Zoro's wanted poster.

"Does he look something like this?" Sanji asked.

"Yes! That's him!" answered the fisherman. "Are you friend of his?!"

"Well…I wouldn't say 'friends'," Sanji said. "We're more like…acquaintances."

_Ugh…_ Sanji groaned in thought. _Such a simple word, and yet it tastes like vomit._

"Where is this guy, now?" asked Sanji.

"I told him to go aboard my fishing boat," said the fisherman. "I'm almost certain I did, but when I got here, I saw him sleeping on a pirate ship that was right next to it! I got scared, so I yelled, 'Wait! Not that ship!' But it was too late! The ship was already coated and went underwater! It's probably on its way to Fishman Island, by now! Gone forever…"

Sanji froze.

"That…that moron…!" he said before he sighed. "When I heard that he got here, first, I knew it was too good to be true. Of course he'd get his ass in trouble, right away."

"Wait! Shouldn't you do something?!" asked the fisherman. "I mean, he's on a pirate ship! What if the kill him?!"

"It's fine!" Sanji said. "There's no need to stress yourself out. I know that guy. He's not to be killed, so easily. At least I can tell the others what happened. Anyway, you got any fish for me, or what?"

"Hey! Look! In the water! Something's surfacing!"

"Huh?" Sanji muttered as he went to the shore and saw a huge shadow under the water. "What the hell is that thing?"

All of a sudden, **SPLOOSH!** A huge galleon emerged from the ocean's depths!

"That pirate ship's been cut in half!"

"Did it break under the water pressure because of a bad coating job?!"

"Did a Sea King hit it?!"

"It looks like it got sliced up by a gigantic blade!"

"Don't talk crazy! How could anyone do something like that?!"

On the destroyed pirate ship, the pirate crew looked at a mysterious figure, sitting on the railing.

"You…you bastard!" said the ship's captain. "You ruined our only chance to get to the New World!"

"Fate's a very fickle thing," said the figure. "Consider that your payment for kidnapping me."

"Kidnapping you?! You stowed away!"

"Hey, look!" said someone from the crowd. "There's someone sitting on top of the ship!"

"So he's back…like I give a damn," said Sanji.

**SHIK!** Roronoa Zoro re-sheathed _Shuusui_.

Zoro now has a scar going down his left eye, which is now closed, implying that it is now blind. His neck has become thicker with muscle, and his hair has become a little longer and slightly slicked back. His attire now consists of a long, dark green robe, which is closed on his waist by a red sash, in which he now keeps his swords, and his trademark black bandana is tied around his left sleeve. He has no shirt under his robe, and he now wears his green haramaki sash is visible under his coat. He also appears to have gotten taller too.

"I got on…the wrong ship," said Zoro.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Oh, yeah! Zoro's here!

Review, please!


	3. The Island of New Beginnings

**Ch. 3- The Island of New Beginnings**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Fake Blizzard © Me

* * *

In Grove 35...

"ROBIN~!" **HUFF!** "ROBIN, WHERE ARE YOU~?!"

**BA-RUMP! BA-RUMP! BA-RUMP!** Chopper, in his new Walk Point form (which looks more stag-like now, especially with longer fur and bigger antlers), is running through the grove, trying to find "Robin", and all the while, he continued to think about how "Luffy" and his "friends" reacted to the situation.

"I can't believe those guys!" Chopper said. "Luffy…Zoro…Nami…Sanji…Franky! What's happened to them?! They used to care so much about each other, but now, they don't even care that Robin's been kidnapped!" **HUFF! HUFF!** "They're nothing but a bunch of jerks, now! I spent those last two years training for nothing! WHAT WAS IT ALL FOR?!"

Chopper sniffled as tears began to form in his eyes, but then he shook them away. When he looked up, though, he saw that he is about to run right into a large wolf-looking dog with white fur and a scarf around his neck.

"WAH!" Chopper gasped.

**SKREEEEEE!** The reindeer tried to brake to a stop, but instead, he just ended up sliding.

"HEY!" Chopper called. "LOOK OUT!"

The dog turned to Chopper, revealing himself to be Blizzard.

"_Huh?"_ he said in his own language, but when he saw Chopper, he screamed.

**WHAM!** Chopper couldn't stop fast enough and ended up crashing into Blizzard, and the two fell to the ground.

"_Ugh…"_ Blizzard groaned. _"My head. Hey, you moron, are you blind?! Watch where you're go- huh?"_

Chopper is down on the ground in his Brain Point form, his eyes swirl-y from dizziness.

"_Hey!"_ Blizzard said. _"I recognize that little blue nose, anywhere! Chopper, is that you?!"_

Chopper shook his head and looked up at Blizzard, and gasped the moment he saw those pink eyes of his.

"BLIZZARD!" Chopper cried, joyfully. "IT'S YOU!"

**WHUP!** Chopper leaped up and hugged Blizzard around his neck, sobbing, and Blizzard held him up with a paw to keep him from falling.

"WAAAAAAAH!" Chopper sobbed. "I MISSED YOU SO MUUUUUCH!"

"_I missed you, too, little buddy,"_ Blizzard said, a single tear forming in the corner of his eye.

Just then, Chopper stopped crying and pulled away from Blizzard, looking rather confused.

"_What's wrong?"_ Blizzard asked. _"You wondering where I got my new scars or something?"_

"Blizzard, how can you be here?" Chopper asked. "Nami said you were unconscious!"

"_Unconscious?"_ Blizzard repeated. _"Where'd she get that idea?"_

"Well, you see, I…" Chopper suddenly gasped. "Oh, yeah! Blizzard, look, I'm happy to see you and all, but this no time for small talk! We've got a big problem!"

"_Yeah?"_ Blizzard asked. _"What's wrong?"_

"It's Robin!" Chopper answered. "She's in big trouble! She's been kidnapped by human traffickers!"

"_What?!"_ Blizzard questioned. _"But how?!"_

"There's no time to explain!" Chopper said. "Just come on! We'll be able to find her, faster, if the both of us are working together!"

"_Okay!"_ Blizzard said. _"You lead the way! I'll follow!"_

Chopper shifted back into his Walk Point form and galloped away, and Blizzard followed not too far behind.

"_Where are the others?"_ Blizzard asked. _"It'd be nice to see them again, after two years! Besides, they could help us find Robin."_

"Trust me, Blizzard," Chopper said. "You don't wanna see any of them. Especially Luffy!"

"_What do you mean?"_ Blizzard asked.

"They've all turned into a bunch of bastards!" Chopper answered. "They don't care about anyone, anymore! Luffy kept going on about how we should just forget Robin!"

"_That doesn't sound like Luffy…"_ Blizzard murmured, but then he gasped in realization. _"Chopper…wait a minute. Wait a minute! WAIT A MINUTE!"_

Blizzard jumped in Chopper's way, forcing him to stop, once more.

"Huh?" Chopper muttered. "Blizzard, what are you doing?! We're wasting valuable time!"

"_Chopper, just answer me this,"_ Blizzard said. _"When you saw 'Luffy', what did he look like to you?"_

"Huh?" Chopper asked. "Oh! Uh, well…he looked like he'd put on a lot weight, for one thing. Oh! And his hat looked a lot different than the last time I saw it, and he had facial hair!"

Blizzard sighed.

_I should've known,_ he thought.

"_Chopper, come with me,"_ Blizzard said.

"But what about Robin?" Chopper asked.

"_Don't worry about Robin, for right now,"_ Blizzard answered. _"Come on. I've got some money. I'll buy you some cotton candy."_

"Really?" Chopper asked.

XXX

A moment later, Chopper is back in his Brain Point form, riding on Blizzard's back while eating a stick of cotton candy, and all the while, Blizzard had explained the entire situation to Chopper.

"Huh?" Chopper asked. "Impostors?!"

"_That's right, Chopper,"_ Blizzard answered.

"So that explains why they looked so different!" Chopper said.

"_Chopper, think about it,"_ Blizzard said. _"Robin's been on the run from the World Government for more than 20 years, now, right? Do you honestly she'd let herself get captured that easily?"_

"Hey, you're right!" Chopper replied. "I thought that something seemed off about her when I saw! She didn't even smell the same!"

_Finally, he gets it,_ Blizzard thought.

"Grr…!" Chopper growled, clenching his hooves. "That makes me so mad! Where do those guys get off, pretending to be us?! They're gonna pay for this! It's almost like…" he suddenly started wriggling around happily. "It's almost like we're famous! Those bastards~!"

Blizzard rolled his eyes and smiled. Even after two years, Chopper still hasn't changed…but to him, that was all right, because he missed how his little reindeer brother would do his little "happy dance".

Suddenly, the two heard familiar voices.

"Hey! Blizzard! Chopper!"

"Over here! It's us!"

The two looked up and they see Usopp and Nami, riding on a bubble bike. While Usopp peddled, Nami is sitting in the back with many bubble bags attached.

"Look, Blizzard!" Chopper exclaimed. "It's Usopp and Nami! The REAL Nami!"

Blizzard smiled and ran up to the sniper and navigator.

"Usopp! Nami!" Chopper cried as he jumped off Blizzard's back, ran up to them, and leaped up into their arms.

"Hey, Chopper!" Usopp said. "Long time, no see, huh?"

"Aww, you look so much cuter~!" Nami cooed before she noticed Blizzard. "Oh, Blizzard, look at you! You look beautiful!"

"And huge!" Usopp added. "I bet it'd be a lot of fun to ride on your back!"

_Not on your life,_ Blizzard thought.

"Uh…Blizzard?" Nami asked, causing the wolf-dog to turn to face her, and that moment, he noticed how much Nami had…grown.

_Holy peanut butter,_ he thought. _Look at those jugs!_

"Blizzard," Nami called, pointing up to her face. "Eyes up here."

Blizzard looked Nami in the face, this time.

"Since you're here," Nami began, "does that mean that…Luffy's here, too?"

Blizzard looked at Nami, but then he smiled at her. **WOOF!** He let out a big bark.

"That means 'yes'!" Chopper said.

Nami squealed in joy and hugged Blizzard around his neck.

"I knew it! I knew it!" she cried. "I just knew it!"

Blizzard smiled and put his paw around Nami.

"Well, Nami," said Usopp, "looks like you're gonna be reunited with Luffy, after all."

"…yeah," Nami agreed, a single tear streaking down her cheek. "I know."

XXX

Meanwhile, in Grove 40, the fake Zoro and the fake Sanji are running through the town.

"My…my side hurts," said the fake Zoro.

"Dammit!" the fake Sanji cursed. "Just when we thought that we'd caught the pet of the real Straw Hats!"

_Flashback_

"What?!" the fake Luffy questioned. "That thing was one of the real Straw Hats?! Why didn't you idiots tell me?!"

"Well, you see captain-"

"Don't just stand there!" shouted the fake Luffy. "Go and get it back, right now!"

_Flashback end_

"How in the hell are we supposed to find it?!" asked the fake Sanji.

"We completely lost sight of him!" said the fake Zoro, panting heavily. "And the Sabaody Archipelago…is a really big place!"

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" the fake Sanji. "Slow down, okay? Let's take a little break, pal."

"Good idea," said the fake Zoro,

Just then, the two impostor Straw Hats spotted someone approaching.

It's Luffy, but now, he's wearing the fake mustache that Hancock gave him.

"Hey, look!" whispered the fake Sanji. "It's that kid with the huge backpack that the captain wanted us to get! But where's his mutt?"

"Uh…you sure that that's a kid?" asked the fake Zoro, eying Luffy's fake mustache.

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "Oh! Zoro! Sanji! Long time, no see!"

XXX

In Grove 40, the real Zoro and Sanji are walking through the city, together, the latter holding a bunch of bubble bags with food inside.

"Hey," said Zoro. "I'm going down to the beach. I wanna go fishing."

"Like hell, you are!" Sanji shouted.

"Why not?!" Zoro asked. "You're not the boss of me!"

"Listen, you," Sanji growled. "I'm not walking with you because I want to! You're a huge pain in the ass, but if I let you keep wandering around the island, you'll just get yourself lost, Moss-head!"

"What was that?" Zoro questioned, irritably.

"The others will be here any minute," Sanji said, "so just your mouth and follow me back to the ship!"

"Humph," Zoro scoffed. "Pretty bold of Number 7 to be telling Number 1 what to do."

"WHAT?!" Sanji shouted. "YOU'RE RANKING US ACCORDING TO HOW WE GOT HERE?! IT'S A MIRACLE THAT YOU EVEN GOT HERE, FIRST, SO DON'T LET IT GET TO YOUR HEAD!"

"Okay, sorry!" said Zoro. "Number 7..."

"THAT DOES IT!" Sanji snapped, a comical red flame around him. "I SPENT THE LAST TWO YEARS IN HELL, TRAINING MY LEGS FOR THIS! I'M GONNA GUT YOU LIKE A TROUT!"

"WELL BRING IT ON!" Zoro shouted, a comical blue fame around him. "I'LL SLICE YOU IN HALF!"

XXX

In Grove 46, the meeting place of the fake Straw Hat Pirates…

"**Reporting from Grove 46. The Straw Hats are gathering here."**

A Marine soldier is seen hiding behind a hunk of rubble.

"The greenhorns are showing up here, one-by-one," he whispered into a Baby Transponder Snail. "I can confirm the identities of four pirate captains."

The first is a pale man with a large, ovular head that is wrapped up in bandages, like most of his body, from his forehead to his scalp, with his face occupying the lowest part of his head. He has a long, black ponytail on the back of his head, growing out from underneath the bandages, and he wears a buccaneer's coat. Around his neck is what appears to be a shirt collar with two buttons that have the letter "A" on them, along with a red-and-maroon striped tie around his neck. He also has a dark yellow sash around his waist. He is holding three thin dagger-like weapons on his right hip and is holding a large sword in the other hand.

"'Gashed' Albion with a bounty of 92,000,000 Berries."

The second is a tan-skinned man with a pointed head and a regular chin jutting out from it. He wears a tricorne hat with his Jolly Roger on it; underneath that is long curly black hair. He wears a plain shirt and polka-dotted pants, has a foulard around his neck, dons a sash around his waist, in which he keeps numerous weapons, and he sports a cape. He has big, plump, red lips, but he has a very small nose and eyes, and he seems to have a permanent scowl on his face.

"Lip 'Service' Doughty with a bounty of 88,000,000 Berries."

The third is a tall man with dark hair reaching down his shoulders, a distinctive wet-looking tuft and a beard in the shape of a whirl going upwards on his chin. He has psychotic-looking eyes with dark and medium green circles around the pupils, pointed ears, and long limbs. He has a long tongue lulling out of his mouth. He wears a fur coat, dark on the outside and lighter and spotted on the inside, like a leopard's, and it's draped over his shoulders like a cape. He wears dark pants and shoes, and he wears an extremely loose shirt with long sleeves with an X-shaped design on his chest which has dried blood on the neckline. With the way he wears it, it almost looks like an unbuckled straitjacket.

The fourth is a large, rotund, egg-shaped man, towering over the third captain and the rest of his crew. His legs are rather skinny in comparison to the rest of his body. He has dark lips and circles under his eyes, and on his head is what appears to be an iguana that acts as his hair, with the tail acting as a tuft, covering the right part of his face. He dons a pair of dark pants and shoes, and a lighter shirt with dried blood stains on some parts near and on his neck with loose sleeves and ruffled edges and a X-shaped design on the chest.

"Super rookies, 'Wet-Haired' Caribou and his brother and co-captain, 'Blood Splatter' Coribou."

The Marine then turned to talk into the Transponder Snail.

"If those guys teamed up with Straw Hat Luffy, then it would be…a real…" he froze when he had the feeling that someone was watching him from behind. Looking back, he saw, to his horror, that Caribou is standing right behind him.

"**Hey! What's wrong over there?!"**

XXX

At the Marine base in Sabaody…

"This is bad!" said a Marine captain. "HURRY UP AND SEND REINFORCEMENTS!"

"Yes, sir!"

XXX

Caribou grabbed the Marine spy by the back of his shirt.

"Hey, hey, hey!" he shouted. "Did you just summon some troops here?!"

"N-no, but I was about to!" said the Marine.

"Oh, that's bad," said Caribou. "Because if you did summon the Marines here…KIHIHIHIHIHI…I'd have to paint this whole plaza red with your blood! Isn't that right, Coribou?"

"That's right, brother!" said Coribou, bowing his head in the opposite direction. "I-I mean, 'sir'!"

"I'm over here, stupid!" said Caribou.

"Sorry, brother!"

"I'm not over there, either! You big dummy!"

As Caribou is dealing with his idiot brother, the Marine soldier is seen reaching behind his back for something. It is revealed that he has a gun concealed behind his cape.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

**SHUCK!** Caribou stabbed a spear into his shoulder.

"AAAAAAAAAGH!"

The pirates around him watched nonchalantly.

"He went and did it."

"So the rumors about him are true."

Caribou then got down on his knees and held his hands over his head.

"Oh, lord, have mercy!" he prayed, jokingly. "Forgive this foolish bastard who tried to kill me with a gun!"

"Sorry, God!" Coribou said, bowing in the opposite direction. "Really sorry!"

"Bury him, Coribou!" Caribou demanded. "Bury this wicked soldier alive!"

"Yes, brother!" Coribou said as he began to dig. "Dig, dig, dig!"

"No! No!" the Marine cried. "Please, spare me! I have a family!"

"That's enough, Caribou!"

Caribou and the pirates saw the fake Luffy, now wearing a buccaneer's coat like a cape.

"There he is! It's captain Luffy!" the pirates cheered.

"Let that insignificant soldier be!" the fake Luffy shouted. "Listen, men! Look around you! You may not know each other, but as of today, you are all my vassals! You're all Straw Hat Pirates, now!"

"YEAH~!"

"That means that when I become the King of the Pirates, you'll share in the spoils and the glory!"

**BANG!** Fake Luffy fired his gun in the air, and the pirates cheered, again.

"But to make that happen," fake Luffy said, "I need every single one of you to work and fight for me in the ventures that lie ahead in the New World!"

"YEAH~!"

"It's like a dream come true! That's the infamous pirate who wreaked havoc on the three World Government facilities: Enies Lobby, Impel Down, and Marine Headquarters!"

"And now, we get to be a part of his crew!"

"He's definitely a candidate for the next King of the Pirates! This is what means to join the winning side!"

"Now, I summoned you here for one reason!" the fake Luffy called. "Your precious big boss, that's me, has been insulted by a bunch of nobodies, and they're still somewhere on this island! FIND 'EM AND BRING 'EM HERE TO ME!"

"YES, BIG BOSS LUFFY!"

"We'll make 'em pay for this!"

At that moment, fake Zoro and fake Sanji appeared with Luffy (still in disguise) walking alongside them.

"Wow," said fake Zoro. "We sure did gather a lot, didn't we?"

"Is that where we're meeting up?" Luffy asked. "Well, still, I can't wait to see everyone. Still, two years is a really long time, huh? You two are a lot quieter than you used to be, and I don't remember seeing you act so chummy with each other, before. I guess a lot can change in two years, huh? Just like your faces! Are you guys wearing masks or something?"

"This mustache guy seems to know the real Straw Hats," whispered the fake Sanji. "Who is this guy?"

"I dunno," replied the fake Zoro, "but keep your mouth shut and don't give us away."

"Hey, captain!" called the fake Sanji.

"Call me 'big boss', you morons!" shouted fake Luffy.

"Sorry!" the fake Zoro said. "We couldn't find the real pet, but isn't this one of the people you were looking for?"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered.

The fake Luffy gasped at the sight of the real thing, but he still didn't recognize his face, due to his disguise.

XXX

At the Sabao Dome, Brook is taking a short break, backstage, but his fans are still cheering for an encore. He was just about to go back on stage when he got a call on his Transponder Snail.

"Oh!" Brook said. "The Marines are coming, you say? I understand. I'll be right there, but first, I have go back on stage. My fans want encore, you see. YOHOHOHOHO!"

"Encore! Encore! Encore!"

"I better get out there, then," said Brook. "They won't stop chanting. All right. See you."

He hung up and went back out on stage, meeting his adoring fans, once more. Just when he is about to play another tune on his guitar…

**BOOM! BOOM!** Gunshots went off, startling the crowd and the performers. It is revealed that the Marines have arrived and are now aiming their rifles at Brook.

"**Hold it, right there!"** shouted a Marine captain, speaking into a Transponder Snail. **"This concert is hereby cancelled!"**

"What?! What are the Marines doing here?!" asked a member of the audience.

"**Soul King Brook! Otherwise known as the second pirate captain of the Rumba Pirates! Also known as 'Humming' Brook! You are suspected of being a pirate worth a bounty of 33,000,000 Berries! On top of that, we have information that you're one of the Straw Hat Pirates, and you are hereby under arrest!"**

The audience gasped in shock.

"No…not Brook…!"

"It can't be!"

"Soul King Brook is a criminal?!"

"And he's a member of the Straw Hat Pirates, too?!"

"But Straw Hat Luffy is dead!"

Just then, Brook's managers came out on stage, armed with firearms.

"It's all over, Brook!" said the lead manager. "Everything!"

"Mr. Manager," said Brook. "So this is your doing!"

"When you announced your retirement to me in the backstage room, you took me by surprise," said the lead manager. "Your fame and popularity is still on the rise! We could've made a killing off of you, but you went and betrayed us! Our company is hereby dissolved, so we're all gonna die together, Soul King!"

"Put your instruments on the ground and put your hands in the air!" shouted a Marine.

Brook just stood there, holding his guitar.

"Backup band," he called. "Chorus! Dancers! Won't you please join me in one last song?"

The performers seemed shocked by this gesture.

"It's all right," said Brook. "My music has gained a whole new power!"

"Are you mad?!" questioned the lead manager. "It's over, Brook!"

"Mr. Manager," said Brook. "You helped me a lot these past two years, and I want to thank you for bringing me to the Sabaody Archipelago. This islands hold the memory of our first defeat. It's an island of regret…but…it's also an island of new beginnings! It's my duty to bring greater excitement to our adventures!"

He then adjusted the microphone.

"**Straw Hat Luffy is dead, you say?"** he spoke into the microphone. **"Balderdash! I'm going to tell the entire world that the great pirate, Straw Hat Luffy, is indeed alive!"**

Nearby, a news reporter is trying to get a connection to headquarters.

"Hey, HQ!" he called. "Talk to me! I have big news! BIG!"

"**He'll be the king of all the world's oceans!"** Brook said. **"A calm, quiet departure doesn't fit him, at all! Oh, baby!"**

_To my beloved friends,_ thought Brook. _Let us go the New World, together, Mister Luffy!_

"**Listen to my last song of the soul!"** Brook shouted.

"YOU IDIOT!" shouted the Marine captain. "DIDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID?! THIS CONCERT IS OVER!"

"Shut up, you Marine dog!" shouted a man from the audience.

"Yeah! Just let him sing one more song! We don't care if he's a criminal!"

"Are you all mad?!"

"You see?" Brook asked. "Music is always on our side! And a one, two, three, four! The New World~!"

The whole concert hall became alive with music as the fans cheered.

"**Oh, yeah! Kid~!**

**This is the song about a hero!**

**And this hero will become a king!**

**In war, there are no restarts,**

**But he stands strong and tall with sandals on his feet!"**

The managers stared at Brook as he continued to sing, remembering the first time they realized that Brook could sing and began to take him on a world tour. At first, not many people listened, but as time went by, Brook had become surrounded by a sea of fans.

"**Oh, yeah! Come on, baby!"**

The manager began to put his gun, seemingly thinking it over.

"**Dreamers will often struggle in the darkness,**

**For sometimes, their dreams seem out of reach!**

**If you wanna keep living,**

**You must fight your own demons!"**

The manager was about to shoot Brook, but then, his partners, who have become teary-eyed by Brook's singing, stopped him and shook their heads, as if to say, "Let him sing."

"**Big dreams seem to be quite a handful,**

**But when he told me, 'I can do this!'**

**I believed in him with all my heart~!"**

"Even though I don't have one!" Brook said.

"**Today is the day!**

**We're tired of waiting!**

**We don't need the night,**

**For we are short-tempered!**

**Today is the day!**

**It is a great day!**

**Kick the clock that has been stopped!**

**For the New World~! For the New World~!**

**For the New World~!**

**This world is gonna change~!"**

"One more time!" Brook shouted.

"FIRE!" shouted the Marine captain.

The Marines tried to open fire, but then, **THOOM!** A huge cloud of smoke exploded on the stage. As the smoke cleared, fireworks went off, but Brook was nowhere to be found. All that could be seen was a hole in the roof.

"He's gone…!" the Marine captain said. "Dammit! We almost had him!"

The audience, however, just cried joyfully. The perfect send-off for a superstar like Brook.

Some could only wonder where he went, now.

XXX

In Grove 17, the island where the _Thousand Sunny_ is anchored…

"WOW~! SO AWESOME~!"

"I KNOW, RIGHT?! HE'S INCREDIBLE~!"

Usopp and Chopper are looking over Franky's new body with eyes sparkling.

"Franky, you're a robot!" said Chopper. "Hey! Can you shoot laser beams?! What about missiles?! Do you have any cool new accessories?!"

"Whoa, Chopper!" Usopp said, holding the little reindeer back. "You keep that up, and you'll have a heart attack! Simmer down!"

_If you ask me, he looks even more annoying,_ Blizzard thought, obviously not impressed.

"That's right!" Franky said, flashing his trademark pose. "He's the stuff that dreams are made of, set into motion! His name is…SUPER ARMORED ME~!"

"WHOO~!" Usopp and Chopper cheered.

Blizzard let out a bored yawn and lied down, closed his eyes, and prepared to fall asleep.

"But wait, Franky!" Usopp said. "How can you do detailed shipwright work with such huge hands?!"

"What do you mean?" Franky asked.

**KLANK! FWUP! VRE~EE! KLAK!** He opened a secret compartment in his hand, revealing a tiny yellow robot hand inside.

"WHOA! EXTRA HANDS!" Chopper cried. "SO COOL~!"

Robin watched, standing by the railing, when she heard a voice call out to her.

"Robin~!"

Robin turned and saw Nami, standing on a hill, waving to her.

"Oh, Nami!" Robin called back. "You look great!"

A moment later, Nami reached the ship and is putting down her purchases, watching Usopp, Chopper, and Franky with the same unimpressed expression as Blizzard.

"It's like I'm watching a blooper reel when I'm looking at them," said Nami. "What's with that body of his?"

"Who knows?" Robin said with a chuckle. "I still haven't figured him out since two years ago."

_You're not alone,_ Blizzard thought. _Neither can I._

"So, this is a coated ship, huh?" Nami asked.

"That's right," Robin answered.

"Hey, Usopp!" Franky said. "Try pressing down on my nose!"

"Your nose?" asked Usopp.

"Yeah!" Franky replied. "Press and hold it for.." He suddenly started to speak in a robotic voice. "Please press and hold for at least three seconds."

"Whoa!" Usopp said. "He repeats things in a robot voice!"

**KLIK!** He pressed down on Franky's nose and counted.

"1...2...3..."

**FWUFF!** Franky's hair popped out of his scalp!

"WHOA!" Usopp and Chopper cried. "YOUR HAIR GREW OUT! SO COOL!"

"Does that mean you can change your hairstyle however you want?!" Chopper asked.

"Sure does!" Franky replied as he combed his hair into its old style from two years ago. "Yo, Nami! What's up?"

"Uh, yeah. Hi, Franky," Nami said hesitantly. "What has he doing been these last two years?"

"Franky, can you show me your new weapons? Please?!" Chopper asked.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Franky said. "I can't do the main event until Luffy gets here-mecha!"

Usopp gasped.

"He added 'mecha' to the end, like he was a robot!" he shouted.

"Hello, Straw Hats!"

Nami looked up and smiled.

"Rayleigh! Shakky!" she called.

"It's good to see you, too!" Rayleigh called as he and Shakky boarded the _Sunny_. At that moment, Blizzard saw his crush and ran right up to her.

_Shakky!_ he cried in thought. _I missed you, baby!_

"Hi, Sugar," said Shakky, scratching Blizzard under his chin. "It's good to see you, too."

**Smooch!** She gave Blizzard a kiss on the snout, causing him to blush pink with hearts in his eyes.

"Oh!" Shakky said. "I see you're wearing Rayleigh's scarf, Sugar. He was right. It does look better on you."

Blizzard snickered.

"Oh, ha-ha," Rayleigh said, but he knew very well that Shakky was just joking. He then turned to face Nami and handed Nami a rolled up piece of paper.

"Here you are, Nami," he said to her. "These are instructions on how to navigate a coated ship, understand?"

"Oh, I see!" Nami said. "Thanks, Rayleigh! I'll do my best!"

"Anyway," Rayleigh said, "the situation on the island has changed. There's a lot of uneasiness going around, right now."

_~A few minutes later~_

Rayleigh had just finished explaining everything to the Straw Hats.

"What?! The Marines are here?!" Nami questioned.

"That's right," Rayleigh said. "They think that your impostors are the real Straw Hat Pirates, and now they've mobilized their forces. Shakky knows because she tapped into their communications."

"I've already warned Brook at the concert hall via Transponder Snail," said Shakky. "He should be here, real soon."

"So he's given up the life of glitz and glamour, after all, huh?" Franky questioned. "I always knew Bones had grit!"

"Where are Zoro and Sanji?" asked Chopper.

"He's with Zoro, right now," Franky answered. "I gave him a Baby Transponder Snail when he came by here."

"Hey, Rayleigh!" Usopp called. "I can't find Luffy! He's not on the ship!"

"What?!" Nami asked.

_Dammit!_ Blizzard cursed in thought. _I knew I couldn't leave him alone!_

The wolf-dog stood up and prepared to go down the gangplank.

"Blizzard?" Chopper asked. "Wait! Where are you going?!"

Nami gasped before she approached Blizzard.

"Blizzard!" she said. "You're gonna go and find Luffy, aren't you?"

Blizzard replied with a nod.

"Well…could you do me one favor?" Nami asked. "Please…take me with you!"

Everyone except Rayleigh, Shakky, and Robin gasped.

"Nami, are you nuts?!" Usopp asked. "You heard Rayleigh! The Marines are coming! It's too dangerous to go out there, now! We gotta set sail!"

"I don't care!" Nami snapped. "I have to go out and find Luffy! I waited two years to see him, AND I'M NOT WAITNG A MOMENT MORE!"

Usopp flinched at those words.

A pause, but then, Blizzard heaved a sigh.

_Okay…I must be outta my mind,_ he thought.

Blizzard gently nudged Nami with his nose, and then made a motion with his head, as if to say, "Come on. Get on my back."

Nami smiled and embraced Blizzard around his neck.

"Thank you, Blizzard!" she said.

"Wait, Nami!" Shakky called to her. "If you're going to go and look for Monkey, then use this." She handed Nami a blank piece of paper.

"Wait…is this…?" Nami asked.

"That's right," Shakky answered. "It's Luffy's Vivre Card. It'll guide you right to him."

Nami turned and pulled Shakky into a hug.

"Thank you, Shakky!" she said.

Shakky chuckled and patted her back before she pulled away.

"Go get him, Nami," she told the navigator. "I'm sure he missed you just as much as you missed him."

Nami nodded with a determined smile before she climbed onto Blizzard's back, riding sidesaddle.

"Usopp! Franky! Chopper! Robin!" Nami called. "Hurry and get the ship ready to sail! Get the ship ready to sail! Blizzard and I will be back with Luffy!"

"Good luck, Nami!" Usopp said. "And tell that idiot we said 'hi', will you?"

"Sure," Nami said. "Let's get going, Blizzard!"

**WOOF!** Blizzard barked before he jumped over the ship's railing and ran off with Nami riding on his back.

"Well, we better hurry," Usopp said. "The Marines could be closing in, fast!"

"Grove 42 would be a good place to have your ship anchored until you're ready to sail," said Rayleigh. "Have everyone assemble there. Remember, the future that lies ahead may be rough, but now, it's time to put the past behind you, and start anew!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	4. Romance Dawn for the New World

**Ch. 4- Romance Dawn for the New World**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Fake Blizzard © Me

* * *

At the Sabao Dome in Grove 33, everyone is an a huge uproar.

"We're in a state of panic, here!" said one of the news reporter. "When the Marines tried to arrest Soul King Brook, his fans started rioting! It seems the star in question has fled the scene! He was a pirate, after all!"

"Damn you, Brook!" shouted the manager. "You dirty traitor!"

XXX

Up in the sky, it is revealed that Brook is riding on a flying fish with the Rosy Life Riders.

"YOHOHOHOHO!" Brook laughed. "Thank you, ever so much! You showed up just in time!"

"Don't thank me," said the Rosy Life Rider. "Shakky sent me. Your crew is waiting for you at Grove 42!"

"Ah," Brook sighed. "Feelings of anticipation are filling my heart, even I though I don't have a heart! YOHOHOHOHOHO!"

XXX

In Grove 41, Sanji has just gotten a call from Franky.

"WHAT?!" Sanji questioned. "What do you mean, 'Nami went to go find Luffy'?! The Marines are coming, you idiot! How could you let her go off on her own?! She could get herself hurt or WORSE!"

"**Will you relax?!"** Franky asked from the other end. **"Look, she's not alone, okay? She's got Snowy with her! She'll be fine!"**

"I'm not leaving anything to chance!" Sanji said. "I'm gonna go look for her!"

"**All right, fine!"** Franky said. **"But come and meet us at Grove 42, got it? We're waiting for you, there!"**

"Got it!" Sanji said before he hung up.

"So what's going on?" Zoro asked.

"Weren't you listening?!" Sanji asked. "Ugh…okay, let's see here. Marines. Coming here. Nami in trouble. Find Nami, Blizzard, and Luffy. Get to ship. Run away. Understand?"

"No, I don't!" Zoro answered. "Why are talking to me like I'm two years old?! Talk to me like a normal human being!"

"I just that a knucklehead like you would understand something like that," said Sanji.

"Fine, then," Zoro said. "You. Cut. Later."

"Whatever," Sanji said.

"By the way," Zoro began, "don't you think that island over there getting a little rowdy?"

"Yeah, you're right," Sanji agreed. "Island. Rowdy."

XXX

In Grove 44, Blizzard is running as fast he can with Nami, who is guiding him by the direction of the Vivre Card, riding bareback on top of him.

"Keep going, Blizzard!" Nami said. "Luffy should be somewhere up ahead!"

_I can tell!_ Blizzard thought. _I can smell his scent way up ahead!_

Nami felt her heart swelling with anticipation. She wondered how much Luffy had changed in the past two years. Has he really stronger? Especially after his older brother died in his arms?

_I'm coming, Luffy,_ she thought. _I'll be right there, soon!_

XXX

In Grove 46, the gathering point of the Fake Straw Hats, Luffy is now standing next to his impostor.

"We just found one of the culprits!" exclaimed the fake Luffy. "We'll start by teaching this fool a lesson! The rest of you, take heed! This is what happens to anybody who defies me!"

"Yeah!"

"Kill him, Big Boss Luffy!"

"Pump him full of lead!"

"Hey, Zoro, Sanji," Luffy said. "Do you know this guy? Blizzard and I ran into him, earlier and-"

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, PIRATE SCUM!"

The Marines have appeared, surrounding the pirates, armed with swords, rifles, bazookas, and cannons.

"Straw Hat Luffy and his underlings! Surrender yourselves! Grove 46 is completely surrounded! You have nowhere to run!"

"The Marines?!" the fake Luffy muttered.

"Uh-oh," muttered the real Luffy. "How did they find me? I'm wearing a disguise!"

"What are you talking about, kid?!" asked the fake Sanji.

"Captain!" the fake Zoro said. "The Marines have got us completely surrounded!"

"Don't sweat it," said the fake Luffy. "Why do you think that we recruited so many pirates in the first place? Some of these men have bounties of over 100,000,000 Berries! Caribou! Coribou! Get that soldier from before! Use him as a human shield and bust us outta here!"

"Soldier?" a Marine repeated. "What soldier?!"

"One of our scouts from earlier must've been capture!" said a Marine lieutenant commander.

"This is bad!" said a Marine captain.

"Big Boss Luffy," said Caribou. "I'm afraid that's quite impossible."

"What do you mean?!" asked the fake Luffy.

"That soldier from before," Caribou began, "he lied to us about summoning the Marines. Didn't you?"

Caribou had pinned the soldier from before down on the ground with his foot.

"N-no," he panted. "Please! Don't shoot! I told you, I have a family! Don't kill me! I've got two kids and one more on the way!"

**CHAK!** Caribou pointed his pistol at him.

"No, you idiot!" shouted fake Luffy. "Stop!"

The fake Blizzard whimpered and covered his eyes with his paws.

**BANG! BANG!** Caribou shot the Marine soldier in the chest, twice, and the soldier stopped moving altogether.

"Those bastards," a Marine commanding officer said. "They have no intention of surrendering!"

"KIHIHIHI…" Caribou laughed. "I don't appreciate your unspoken rule about how you can lie to pirates."

"Caribou! That crazy son of a bitch!" the fake Luffy muttered. "He disobeyed my orders!"

"CAPTURE THE PIRATES!" a Marine shouted, causing the Marines to charge forward.

"KIHIHIHIHIHI!" Caribou laughed. "I smell blood. The stinking blood of hypocrites!"

The pirates rushed the Marines, as well.

"You damn Marine fools! Our boss is Straw Hat Luffy, the man with 400,000,000 Berries on his head!"

"Slaughter every last one of 'em!"

"Huh?" muttered the real Luffy. "Why are they calling me their boss?"

"I don't get what you're saying!" said the fake Sanji.

"Hey, you idiots!" shouted the fake Luffy. "Come back here! Don't just charge them, blindly!"

**WHAM!**

"AAAAAAAH! HELP!"

The impostor Straw Hats looked up and see three Pacifista cyborgs, attacking the pirates.

"RUN! IT'S THE PACIFISTAS!"

"Those are the human weapons from the Paramount War, two years ago! Why the hell are they here?!"

"Pirate: Straw Hat Luffy," said PX-5. "Target acquired."

"P-Pacifistas?!" the fake Luffy murmured. "Is this for real? D…did he just lock onto me?!"

"Uh-oh," the real Luffy said under his breath. "I think it's time for me to split."

With that, Luffy turned and walked away, but then **ZOW! BOOM!** PX-5 fired his laser from his mouth, hitting several pirates.

PX-6 happened to hit Doughty, who is on the ground, bleeding from the head, mouth, and chest.

"Lip 'Service' Doughty," said PX-6. "Bounty: 88,000,000 Berries."

"CAPTAIN DOUGHTY!" Doughty's men cried.

"This can't be happening! This must be a nightmare!"

"Not even a man worth over 80,000,000 Berries stands a chance against the Pacifistas!"

XXX

Not too far away, Nami and Blizzard spotted the chaos going on down below, standing on the roots of one of the trees.

"Oh, no!" Nami cried. "Quick, Blizzard! We gotta get down there, fast!"

Blizzard nodded before he dashed away.

XXX

The Pacifistas are attacking pirates, left and right.

"We're in big trouble, here!"

"Big Boss Luffy! Do something!"

"The Pacifistas are gonna wipe us all out!"

"Hey?! Where did Big Boss Luffy go?!"

It is revealed the fake Straw Hats are running away as fast as they could.

"Hurry up! We gotta get outta here!" said the fake Luffy. "We can't fight something that can take out someone like Doughty like it's nothing!"

Suddenly, the impostors braked to a halt, for Sentomaru and the Pacifistas are now standing in their path.

"Oh, no!" the fake Nami said.

"Do something, Captain!" cried the fake Zoro.

The pirates suddenly began to cheer.

"All right! Big Boss Luffy's gonna fight for us!"

"Yeah! Go, Big Boss Luffy! Show 'em what a 400,000,000 bounty can do!"

Sentomaru looked at the pirates surrounding them.

"Why are these fools calling you Straw Hat?" asked Sentomaru.

"G-get outta my way!" shouted the fake Luffy. "Do you know even know who I am?! I'm the son of Dragon and the grandson of Garp! I…I HAVE A BOUNTY OF 400-"

**SHPLAK!** Sentomaru drove the side of his giant axe into the fake Luffy's crown.

"STRAW HAT'S NOT SOME PIECE OF CRAP, LIKE YOU!" shouted Sentomaru.

"WHAT THE HELL~?!" the pirates cried.

"B-BIG BOSS STRAW HAT! HE GOT BEATEN!"

"Now I understand," said Sentomaru. "These impostors had these pirates all fooled. PX-5! Identify him!"

PX-5 looked down at the fake Luffy.

"Pirate: 'Triple Tongue' Demalo Black. Bounty: 26,000,000 Berries."

The pirates gasped in shock.

"AN IMPOSTOR?!"

"Uh-oh," the fake Sanji muttered. "Our cover's blown! Run for it, or they'll kill us!"

The fake Straw Hats continued to run away, while the other pirates grew angrier.

"That guy was just pretending to be Straw Hat Luffy?!"

"That bastard tricked us! He took advantage of the real Straw Hat being dead!"

"I've been had!" shouted Albion. "And by a 26,000,000 Berry punk!"

"Huh?" the real Luffy questioned. "So that guy was pretending to be me, the whole time? So that means that the Zoro and Sanji were fakers, too! But they really did look like the real ones."

"The impostor Straw Hats may be fools," said Sentomaru, "but so are you lot for allowing yourselves to be misled! You're all under arrest!"

The pirates gasped in shock.

"And the real Straw Hat is alive!" said Sentomaru. "He's actually somewhere around here! PX-5 picked up his signal the moment we came ashore! TARGET HIM, PX-5!"

**BEEP! BEEP!** PX-5 beeped before he opened his mouth. **ZOW! BOOM!** He fired his laser at Luffy, who jumped away at the last second.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" the pirates cried.

**TMP!** Luffy landed on the platform where the fake Straw Hats stood. **FWUP! PLOP!** His cloak and fake mustache fell off.

"Man, that was close!" Luffy said. "Hey! What the hell did you do that for?! This backpack has all my lunchboxes in it!"

The pirates went slack-jawed and bug-eyed before they looked at Luffy's wanted poster.

"HE LOOKS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE WANTED POSTER~!"

The fake Straw Hats screamed.

"SO THAT WAS THE _REAL_ STRAW HAT LUFFY?!" the fake Sanji questioned.

"Get ready!" said a Marine captain. "We came here, expecting the real deal, anyway!"

**FWUFF! FWUFF!** A giant storm cloud suddenly appeared over some of the Marines.

"Get out of MY WAY!"

**KRRZZZZZT! BABOOM!** Thunder clapped, and lightning flashed, striking down the Marine soldiers. **TMP! TMP! TMP! TMP!** Blizzard appeared, galloping passed the charred bodies before he skids to a stop.

"Blizzard?" Luffy asked. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at the ship, by now!"

Nami hopped off of Blizzard's back and waved her arms at Luffy.

"Luffy!" she called. "It's me!"

Luffy squinted at Nami for a moment, but then his eyes went wide as saucers.

"Nami?" he asked before his face lit up. "Oh, my god, Nami! It's you!"

He jumped down from the platform and ran to Nami, who did the same. Just as the distance between them grew shorter…

"Pirates: 'Cat Burglar' Nami and 'White Wolf' Blizzard. Bounty: 16,000,000 Berries and 350,000 Berries," said PX-6.

**BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!** He opened his mouth, about to fire his laser beam.

Luffy gasped.

"NAMI, LOOK OUT!" he shouted.

**ZOW! BOOM!** PX-6 fired his laser, but luckily for Nami, she didn't get hit. However, she had been sent rolling on the ground a few feet away.

"NO!" Luffy cried before he ran to his navigator's side. He looked her over and didn't see any bruises, but as he did, he spotted Nami's hair and her…chest.

"Whoa!" he said. "Your hair got longer! Your boobs got bigger, too! Oh, well." He helped Nami get to her feet. "You okay?"

Nami simply smiled and said, "I am now."

Luffy smiled before he closed his eyes and puckered his lips, but then, **WHAP!** Nami slapped Luffy right across the face.

"OW!" Luffy cried. "Dammit, Nami! That hurts! What'd you do that for?!"

"THAT is for making me wait for two years!" Nami shouted.

Luffy rubbed the red palm mark on his cheek, when suddenly, Nami pulled him into an embrace.

"And this…is for coming back," she said.

**SMEK!** She kissed Luffy deeply on the lips, which Luffy returned. Oh, how Luffy missed the taste of Nami's mouth. In fact, this one tasted even sweeter than he remembered.

Blizzard smiled at the captain and navigator's reunion.

"How touching."

Luffy pulled away from Nami and looked up to see Sentomaru and the Pacifistas.

"You, again?!" Luffy questioned, standing before Nami protectively. "Are you gonna get in our way, like you did, last time?! I was supposed to not get into any trouble because it'll make it harder to leave!"

"Oh, don't worry," Sentomaru said. "You and your little girlfriend won't be going anywhere, anytime soon! I'm a Marine soldier, now, unlike two years ago, and I'm going to arrest you, Cat Burglar, and White Wolf, here and now!"

"Nami…you better get outta here," Luffy said.

Nami nodded and backed away.

"PX-5! Get him!" Sentomaru ordered.

**ZOW!** PX-5 fired his laser from the palm of his hand, but Luffy simply motioned his head to the right, dodging the beam so fast, it was almost unseen!

"Too slow," Luffy said.

**BOOM!** The laser beam exploded.

"What?!" Sentomaru questioned.

"Oh, my god…!" Nami whispered.

"Gear…SECOND!"

**PLUMP! FSSSSS!** Luffy threw his arm to the side, causing it to pump blood through his body.

"Gum-Gum…"

**FWASH!** PX-5 prepared to fire his laser at Luffy, again.

"LUFFY, LOOK OUT!" Nami cried.

**ZOW!** PX-5 fired his laser, but Luffy suddenly disappeared, and then reappeared right above him!

"JET PISTOL!"

**POW!** Luffy sent a powerful punch right into the Pacifista's face.

Nami gasped.

"He used…Haki…!" Sentomaru whispered in shock.

"HE TOOK DOWN THE PACIFISTA WITH ONE BLOW?!" the pirates shouted.

**KABOOM!** PX-5 exploded.

_I knew Luffy had it in him!_ Blizzard thought.

Luffy landed on the ground, right beside Nami, but at that moment, he spotted PX-6 approaching Blizzard from behind.

"BLIZZARD!" Nami cried.

"BEHIND YOU!" Luffy shouted.

Blizzard turned to face PX-6, who raised his hand at the wolf-dog. **ZOW!** He fired his laser at him, but the wolf-dog jumped back before it could hit him.

_Now it's my turn!_ Blizzard thought before he galloped toward PX-6, gaining speed with each sprint.

**WHOOSH!** He began to spin around like a top, heading straight for PX-6.

_Twister FANG!_

**BOOM!** Blizzard pierced PX-6, right through the chest and coming out from the back!

"White Wolf, too?!" Sentomaru questioned.

**KABLAM!** PX-5 exploded, as well.

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered. "Way to go, Blizzard!"

_A…amazing!_ Nami thought. _Luffy and Blizzard…they've gone up a whole new league!_

"Luffy!"

Luffy, Blizzard, and Nami looked up and saw Zoro and Sanji, approaching them.

"Hey, look!" Nami said. "It's Zoro and Sanji!"

"There's no mistaking it, this time!" said Luffy. "Long time, no see, huh, guys?!"

"Luffy! There you are!" Zoro said. "We were looking almost everywhere for you!"

"Why are you and Blizzard always in the middle of some huge fracas?!" Sanji questioned, when suddenly, he spotted Nami, or rather, how much she had "grown".

"Hey, guys!" she greeted them.

Sanji gasped.

"NAMI, MY DEAR~!" he swooned.

**PLOOSH!** He suddenly got a nosebleed so huge, it sent him rocketing into the sky.

"What the hell?!" Zoro questioned.

"Sanji?!" Nami called.

"What's with him?!" asked Luffy.

**THUD!** Sanji fell to the ground, his face covered in blood.

"Hey, you idiot!" Zoro shouted as he went over and started to shake Sanji. "Wake up! Snap out of it! This is no time for you to start spazzing out!"

"Nami…big boobies…!" Sanji murmured, laughing.

_Wow,_ Blizzard thought, sweat dropping. _Some things never change._

"Roronoa! Black Leg!" Sentomaru exclaimed. "They're alive, too! PX-7! Get them!"

PX-7 appeared in front of Zoro and Sanji, the latter of whom finally snapped out of his short coma and looked up at the cyborg.

**SHEEN!** He raised his hands, preparing to fire his laser beams at the two Straw Hats, but then…

"MOVE IT!"

**SLASH! BAM!** Zoro cut PX-7 in the side and Sanji kicked him in the neck.

"I cut him!" Zoro exclaimed.

"Well, I cut broke his neck!" Sanji snapped.

**KABOOM!** PX-7 exploded, leaving the pirates even more shocked than before.

"It really is the Straw Hat Pirates!"

"They're nothing like those phonies!"

"Hey, Luffy," said Zoro. "You're Number 10."

"SHUT UP!" Sanji snapped. "WHY ARE YOU STILL GOING ON ABOUT THAT?! Luffy, you, Nami, and Blizzard better get going! Everyone's waiting at the ship!"

"Oh! Okay!" Luffy said. "But first, could one of you get my backpack for me?"

"Okay," said Zoro. "Where is it?"

Luffy pointed to the piece of rubble where his backpack is.

"That thing?!" Nami asked.

"It's huge!" Zoro added. "What's in there?!"

"Boxed lunches," Luffy answered.

_Why does that not surprise me?_ Zoro, Nami, and Sanji thought in unison.

Luffy got on Blizzard's back, and then held his hand out to Nami, who allowed him to pull her up on to the wolf-dog's back, too.

"Well, see you around!" Luffy called to Sentomaru. "Who knows? Maybe we'll be seeing you again!"

"Wait, Straw Hat!" Sentomaru shouted.

"Luffy, come on!" Zoro called, holding Luffy's backpack.

"Follow us!" Sanji called.

"We're coming!" Luffy called back. "Blizzard! Let's ride!"

**WOOF!** Blizzard barked before he galloped off after Zoro and Sanji.

"After them!" shouted a Marine commanding officer. "Don't let the Straw Hats escape!"

The Marines began to give chase.

"Oh, man, this is great!" Luffy said. "It's been so long! I wonder how everyone's doing! Huh? Hey, guys! Stop!"

**SKRRRRSH!** The Straw Hats braked to a stop.

"Luffy, what are you doing?" Nami asked.

"Why are we stopping?" Zoro asked. "We gotta go!"

Luffy was looking out to the West, his signature toothy grin on his face, and when Zoro, Nami, Sanji, and Blizzard turned to look in the same direction, they smiled, as well.

"RAYLEIGH~!" Luffy shouted.

The Marines stopped in their tracks, and the pirates. There was Rayleigh, sitting in on a tree root, far away.

"D…D…DARK KING RAYLEIGH?!" they all shouted.

"I came to check up on you all, just in case," said Rayleigh, "but now I see it wasn't necessary. Your Haki has become more refined since the last time I saw you, Luffy!"

"Yeah!" Luffy agreed.

"Well, go on then," said Rayleigh. "Go to your friends. They're waiting for you, you know."

"Yeah!" Luffy answered. "Rayleigh! Thanks so much for the past two years!"

"Ha-ha-ha…" Rayleigh chuckled. "I understand that you're being grateful, but now's not the time for formalities. Hurry and go."

Luffy hopped off of Blizzard's back, and then he threw his fists in the air.

"Rayleigh!" he shouted. "I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna be…KING OF THE PIRATES!"

The pirates and Marines stared in surprise, but Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Blizzard, and Rayleigh, the very last of whom is tearing up, all smiled at Luffy, who laughed.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	5. Downward Ho

**Ch. 5- Downward Ho**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

* * *

"Get the Straw Hat Pirates!" the Marines shouted.

"Uh-oh," Luffy muttered before he climbed up onto Blizzard's back, once more. "Blizzard! Let's ride!"

Blizzard ran off, following Zoro and Sanji.

"Bye, Rayleigh!" Nami called, holding onto Luffy from behind.

"See ya later!" Luffy called.

"Come on, Luffy!" Sanji said.

"Thanks for everything, Rayleigh!" Zoro called.

_**AWWOOOOOOOO!**_ Blizzard howled.

_We're off!_ he thought.

Rayleigh smiled as he remembered the training he put Luffy through in Rusukaina. At first, training Luffy to use his Haki seemed rather hard since sometimes, Luffy would act childish and fidget, but soon, he caught on quicker than he thought, and before Rayleigh knew it, Luffy had already learned everything he needed to know about Haki in only a year-and-a-half.

"After them!" the Marines cried.

"Luffy!" Rayleigh called. "Go all the way to the top!"

Luffy smiled.

"You bet!" he yelled.

"The Straw Hats are headed for Grove 42!" said a Marine commodore. "Don't let them get away!"

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," said Rayleigh.

**SHAK!** Rayleigh slashed the ground with his sword, forcing the Marines to stop.

"D-Dark King Rayleigh?!"

"It's my pupil's farewell," said Rayleigh, "and I want it be proper. So, I advise you…not to step over this line."

The Marines shivered and swallowed the lumps in their throats.

XXX

At the entrance of Grove 46, the Straw Hats are still trying to escape the Marines. However, Sanji had to stop to get the bubble bags that he had.

"Hey, Sanji!" Luffy called. "What's that stuff?"

"It's food for the trip!" Sanji replied.

"Ooh!" Luffy exclaimed, drooling. "Can't wait!"

"Hey, Luffy!" Zoro called. "Can't you have Blizzard carry this backpack, instead?"

"He can't!" Luffy answered. "Blizzard can only carry up to two people! Not two people and a big backpack!"

"STOP!" Nami cried.

**SKREEEEE~!** The group stopped and saw that the Marines had blockaded them.

"Surrender, Straw Hats! You have nowhere to run!"

"Dammit!" Zoro cursed. "They've got us surrounded!"

"Now what do we do?" Nami asked. "We don't have time to fight them all off!"

Suddenly, Luffy spotted something. It looked like…a little ghost?

"Huh? What's that thing?" Luffy questioned.

"Hey…I think I recognize that ghost!" Nami commented.

"Oh, no," Zoro muttered. "Don't tell me…"

"Negative HOLLOW!"

**SHOOM!** The ghost went right through the Marines, causing them all to fall their knees in a state of depression.

"I wish was a dust mite."

"I wish I was a louse."

"HOROHOROHOROHORO!"

Upon hearing that laugh, the Straw Hats looked up and saw a familiar face: Perona.

Perona looks more mature than she did, two years ago. She is wearing a long black strapless with lavender ruchings, red high-heeled boots, and a big black top hat with floral décor. She has a pink bat tattoo on her left bicep, as well as a watch on her left wrist and wears pink nail polish on her fingernails. She still has her signature umbrella, and in her arms, she appears to be holding a stuffed animal that resembles Kumacy. Also, she has styled her now much longer hair into four spiral braids.

"I knew you people were behind this mess!" said Perona. "Why are you still here, anyway?!"

Nami gasped.

"It's you!" she said.

"Hey! You're that girl from Thriller Bark!" Sanji exclaimed, with hearts in his eyes.

"What the hell are you still doing here?!" Zoro questioned. "I thought you'd be gone, by now!"

"Who is she, again?" Luffy asked.

"Hey!" Perona snapped. "Don't you talk to me that way! Or did you forget that I'm the reason you got here, in the first place!"

_No wonder he got here first,_ Blizzard thought. _Of course he had to have some kind of escort. In a way…it's actually kinda funny._

"If it weren't for me, mister, you'd be…huh?" Perona started when she felt a slight chill go down her spine. Turning around, she saw Sanji…sniffing her.

"A woman…" he muttered. "A real live woman!"

"Of course I'm a real woman!" Perona shouted. "Are you sick in the head, or something?!"

"Luffy," Nami said. "Let's just go ahead and go."

Luffy nodded before he patted Blizzard's shoulder, telling him to keep running, which he did.

"Anyway," Perona began, "you guys had better get outta here! I saw a Marine battleship nearing the Archipelago!"

"WHAT?!" Zoro and Sanji questioned.

"Dammit, this is bad," Zoro said. "Hey, Luffy! Nami! We better- huh?"

"Where'd they go?" Sanji asked.

"They're probably on their way to your ship," Perona answered.

"But we didn't tell them where the ship is!" Sanji said. "By the time we catch up to Blizzard, the battleship will already be here!"

"So what do we do?!" Zoro asked.

Suddenly, a huge shadow loomed over them, causing everyone to look up.

"No way…!" Zoro gasped.

"Is that…?" Sanji muttered.

XXX

In Grove 45, Blizzard is still running away with Luffy and Nami still riding bareback on top of him.

"Looks like we lost them," Luffy said. "For now, at least."

"Yeah," Nami said.

"So, where's the ship from here?" Luffy asked.

A pause came, and Blizzard began to slow down into a walk. Nami wrapped her arms around Luffy's chest, her fingers tracing the scar on his chest.

"I don't know where the ship is," Nami said, "but for right now…I don't care."

Luffy looked back at Nami, inquisitively.

"Luffy…all I care about right now is you," she said. "I really missed you."

Luffy smiled before he removed his straw hat from his crown and placed it on Nami's head.

"I missed you, too, Nami," Luffy said with a soft smile. "I missed you so bad, it actually hurt."

Blizzard smiled at the captain and navigator as he continued to walk.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you, Luffy," Nami said. "Especially after…well…"

"Ace," Luffy said. "It's okay. I'm over it, now.

"Still…" Nami said. "I'm sorry about what happened. It must've been so hard for you."

"It was hard," Luffy said. "I almost completely gave up on everything." He then smiled and looked at Blizzard. "Good thing I had Blizzard with me." He scratched Blizzard behind the ears, causing him to thump his leg on the ground.

Nami smiled and scratched Blizzard on the side.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Thanks, Blizzard."

**WOOF!** Blizzard barked.

"But anyway, we gotta find the ship," Luffy said.

"You're right," Nami said. "I should've waited to hear Rayleigh tell us where to dock the _Sunny_, but I was too impatient to see you again. Now the Marines are probably gonna catch up to us because of me."

Just then, they felt a shadow hanging over them.

"Huh?" Luffy questioned. "Hey! Is it gonna rain?"

"But that can't be!" Nami said. "The weather's supposed to be sunny, all day! I predicted it!"

The trio looked up and saw…a giant bird, and sitting on its back are Zoro, Sanji, and Chopper!

"Hey, guys!" Chopper called.

"Chopper!" Luffy called back. "It's you! Whoa, look at that big bird! So awesome!"

"Follow us, Luffy!" Zoro called. "We're heading for Grove 42!"

"Got it!" Luffy said. "Lead the way!"

XXX

At Grove 42, where the _Sunny_ is docked, Brook has finally arrived.

"YOHOHOHOHO!" Brook laughed. "Mister Usopp! Mister Franky! Miss Robin! How wonderful it is to see you all again! Even though I don't have eyes."

"Brook, you made it!" Usopp exclaimed.

"So you really gave up the life of stardom to come here," Franky mused. "I still can't believe it."

"Oh, this brings back so many memories!" Brook said. "Oh, yeah~!"

**WHUP! THRUM-THRUM!** Brook sat up on a barrel, strumming his guitar.

"Oh!" Usopp said. "You gonna sing something for us?"

"Miss Robin," Brook said. "It's been two long years since I last saw you, and I just wanted to ask…may I take a look at your panties?"

Robin just chuckled.

"Sorry, Brook," she said, politely. "Not today."

"YOHOHOHOHOHO!" Brook chortled.

"Man…where are Luffy, Nami, Blizzard, Zoro, and Sanji?" Usopp asked. "They should be here by now!"

"Relax, Usopp," Franky said. "Chopper went to go pick them up, remember?"

"Then why is he taking so long?!" Usopp asked. "It's been almost 45 minutes! The Marines could get the jump on us at any time!"

"They'll be here, Usopp," Robin said in reassurance. "Don't fret."

"HEY~!"

Everyone looked up and saw Chopper, Zoro, and Sanji, riding on top of the giant bird.

"Chopper, there you are!" Usopp said.

Sanji gasped upon seeing Robin, or rather, her cleavage.

"ROBIN!" he cried.

**PLURT! PLOOSH!** Sanji had yet another major nosebleed.

"WAAAH!" Chopper cried. "SANJI!"

"Damn lover boy cook," Zoro grumbled under his breath.

**WHUP! TMP!** He jumped down from the bird's back and landed on the deck, but when he looked up, he was met face-to-face with Robin, and then…something seemed to click.

Zoro felt his cheeks get hot as they flushed a bright pink and he felt his start racing. In his single eye, Robin…she looked…beautiful. Of course, she looked beautiful before, but seeing her now…it seemed different.

What could it be?

"Zoro," Franky called. "Zoro? Hello~? YO, ZORO!"

"Huh?" Zoro muttered, finally snapping out of his trance. "What? What is it?!"

"You okay there, bro?" Franky asked. "You kinda zonked out for a second, there."

"I'm fine," Zoro said. "Just fine."

"If you say so," Franky said.

"Hey, Chopper!" Usopp called, trying to revive an incapacitated Sanji. "Sanji needs help! He won't stop bleeding! Do something!"

"What?!" Chopper questioned. "H-hang on, Sanji! I'll be right there!"

"One beautiful lady…two beautiful ladies…" Sanji mumbled. "…three beautiful…"

"YO~!"

Everyone looked up upon hearing that familiar voice, and saw a white blur jump from the root of the Yarukiman Mangrove trees. Once it landed on the deck of the _Sunny_, it is revealed to be none other than Blizzard, carrying Luffy and Nami.

"Hey, guys!" Luffy said. "Long time, no see, huh?"

"LUFFY!" everyone cried.

"Ha-ha!" Franky laughed. "You look even more like a man, now, Luffy!"

"Mister Luffy~!" Brook cried, tearfully. "I missed you, so!"

"At last!" Usopp said, also in tears but not as much as Brook. "We're all together, again!"

Luffy smiled as he jumped down from Blizzard's back, followed by Nami.

"It's great to see you guys, again, too," said Luffy.

All of a sudden, **Plip! Plip!** Everyone saw little droplets beginning to fall from Luffy's eyes.

"Luffy?" Usopp asked.

"Hey, you okay, captain?" Zoro asked.

"I…" Luffy started. "I…I missed you all so much…!"

A slight pause.

"Oh…what the hell are we doing, just standing here?!" Usopp questioned before he pulled Luffy into a tight embrace, which the captain returned, sobbing into the sniper's shoulder.

"Group hug!" Franky exclaimed.

"Get in there, guys!" Nami chimed in.

"We missed you, too, Luffy," Robin added.

Soon, Luffy is surrounded by his whole crew. Nami and Blizzard hugged Luffy from behind, Sanji and Zoro put a hand on each of his shoulders, Chopper held onto his leg, Brook and Robin hugged him from both sides, and Franky hugged him from behind Usopp.

"Okay," Luffy said. "I think I'm good."

"You sure?" Usopp asked.

"Yeah," Luffy answered.

"You let it all out?" Chopper asked.

"Yeah," Luffy said before he pulled away from everyone, and that's when he saw Franky, and his eyes began to sparkle. "WHOA~! F-F-FRANKY! YOU…"

"What?" Franky asked.

**KLIK!** He pressed his nose.

"Is there something the matter-mecha?"

**FWUFF!** Franky's hair popped out and formed a cubic style.

"MECHA~?!" Luffy repeated, smiling. "I WANNA TRY-"

"WAIT, A MINUTE!" Nami shouted as she pulled Luffy away. "I don't know what this is about, Luffy, but we gotta go! Chopper just told me there's a Marine battleship coming!"

"Uh, Nami?" Usopp called. "THE BATTLESHIP'S ALREADY HERE!"

"WHAT?!" Nami shouted.

"Uh-oh…" Luffy muttered.

"INCOMING!" Zoro shouted.

"TAKE COVER!" Chopper cried.

**BOOM! SPLOOSH!** A cannon was fired, and the cannonball barely missed the _Sunny_!

"We've been spotted!" Usopp exclaimed. "We gotta do something, or we're sunk!"

"Don't let the Straw Hat Pirates escape!" shouted a Rear Admiral. "Fire the cannons!"

**BOOM! BOOM!** They fired their base cannons at the ship.

"Hang on! I'll handle this!" Luffy said. "Gum-GUUUUM…"

"Slave ARROW!"

**WOOSH! KLAK! KLAK!** Some pink heart-shaped arrows came out of nowhere and hit the cannonballs, turning them to stone. **SPLASH! SPLASH!** The cannonballs fell into the water and sank.

The Marines looked up to see the Kuja Pirates' ship.

"Belay! Cease fire!" shouted the Rear Admiral.

"H-hey! That's-"

"The Kuja Pirates!" shouted the Rear Admiral. "What do you think you're doing?! You're interfering with our mission!"

"Who are you?" Hancock asked as she came out on deck. "And who do you think you are, sailing this battleship in my path?!"

"Hey," Robin said. "That's the mark of the Kuja Pirates."

"The who-ja?" Nami asked, looking through a pair of binoculars.

"The Kuja," Robin repeated. "They're a band Amazonian warriors led by the Pirate Empress, a member of the Seven Warlords."

"A Warlord?!" Usopp repeated.

"Yes," Robin replied. "Her name is Boa Hancock. They say that she's the most beautiful woman in the world, and anyone who sees her, even women, will fall for her and be turned to stone in the end."

"Oh!" Brook gasped as he fell back. "So bright! She's absolutely dazzling! Her beauty knows no limits!"

"Whoa!" Usopp shouted, looking through the spyglass. "She's hot! She must be a goddess!"

"A goddess?!" Sanji questioned. "Where?! Where is she?! Show her to me! WHERE IS SHE?!" He reached for his own spyglass, and the moment he spotted Hancock, **KRINK!** He turned into a stone statue!

"SANJI?!" Nami cried.

"HE TURNED TO STONE!" Usopp added.

"Hey, look, Blizzard!" Luffy said. "There's Hancock!"

The guys and Nami looked at Luffy in confusion.

Hancock looked over to the _Sunny_ and winked her eye.

_Now's your chance, Luffy,_ she thought.

"AAAAH!" Brook cried with hearts in eye sockets. "SHE WINKED AT US~!"

"Luffy, do you know her?" Nami asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy replied. "Blizzard and I ended up landing on the island of women and we became friends with her after we fell in her bathtub!"

"WHAT?!" Usopp questioned. "T-the legendary island of women?! It really exists?!"

Nami just stood there, silently.

"The Pirate Empress is his friend…?!" Sanji growled.

**WHAP!** Sanji grabbed Luffy by the collar of his cardigan.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" he questioned. "HAVE YOU AND THAT FLEABAG OF ACTUALLY BEEN TRAINING?!"

"Yeah, and it went great!" Luffy answered.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I HAD TO GO THROUGH THESE PAST TWO YEARS?!" Sanji snapped. "I WAS IN HELL!"

"Sanji!" Nami called. "Let him go."

"Yes, Nami, dear!" Sanji said before he released Luffy.

Nami approached Luffy, wearing a sweet smile on her face, but Luffy knew this look all too well: she would always look like this whenever she got mad, and it was usually at him.

"Uh…Nami?" Luffy asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Luffy," Nami replied. "You didn't do anything wrong."

**KRIK! KRIK!** Nami's grip on her binoculars began to tighten.

"Uh…" Luffy muttered, sweating bullets, "then…why does it feel like you're getting angry?"

"Angry?" Nami repeated. "No, Luffy, you've got it all wrong! I'm just…fine!"

**KRAK!** She crushed the binoculars in her hand. **GULP!** Luffy swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Uh…okay," Luffy said, smiling nervously. "I'm just gonna go…somewhere over there."

With that, Luffy ran over to Blizzard's side.

"Damn, she's gotten even scarier, now…!" he said, hiding behind Blizzard.

_It's your own fault!_ Blizzard thought. _You had to go and mention Hancock around her!_

At the Kuja Pirates' ship, Marguerite and Sweet Pea are watching.

"Wow!" Marguerite said. "So those people are Luffy's and Blizzard's friend! They sure look fun!"

"The saga of: 'I've never seen such mysterious creatures'!" Sweet Pea commented. "Let's see. One…two…three…four…"

XXX

Down underwater, Franky is seen turning some kind of valve under the ship's keel.

XXX

**BLUP!** A bubble began to rise up.

"Hey!" Luffy said. "What's going on?!"

"The jelly's inflating!" Usopp cried.

**BLOOP!** A giant has formed around the ship!

"Whoa! Cool!" Luffy cried. "We're inside a giant bubble!"

At that moment, Chopper noticed that Usopp is looking over the railing.

"Usopp?" Chopper called. "What's wrong? Do you feel sick?"

"Got a tummy ache, Usopp?" asked Luffy.

"Hey," Usopp said. "Did any of you clobber all those soldiers on the way here?"

Luffy and Chopper looked at each other, and then back at Usopp.

"No," they answered.

"I still heard their voices on the way here," said Chopper.

"Then how come I don't see any of them coming after us?" Usopp asked.

"If they're not coming, then don't worry about it!" Franky said from above the surface of the water. "Now's our chance to set the sails and high-tail it outta here! If they ran into some trouble, good luck for us!"

"Amen to that," Nami agreed.

Usopp continued to stare back at the island.

_What is going on, back there?_ he thought.

XXX

Back on the island, it is revealed that something is holding the Marines up.

"This is the third reinforcements platoon!" said a Marine captain.

"FIRE AT WILL!"

**BANG! BANG! KABANG!** The Marines fired their rifles at…something.

"We can't reach Grove 42!"

"**What? Why not?!"**

"Because…WE'VE ENCOUNTERED SOME GIANT BEETLES!"

"**BEETLES?!"**

Yes, beetles. The Marines are being attacked by a giant Hercules beetle and stag beetle.

Nearby, Heracles watched as his giant insects attacked the Marines before he looked out to sea.

_I wish you the best of luck…Usopp'n,_ he thought.

In a different part of the island, the Marines are drenched in a torrential downpour.

"This is the fourth platoon!" said a Marine soldier in a Baby Transponder Snail. "I'm sorry, but this sudden downpour has soaked our gunpowder! Our rifles are useless!"

"**Downpour?! It's not raining here! The entire Sabaody Archipelago is supposed to be sunny, today!"**

XXX

Above the Sabaody Archipelago, it is revealed that the Sky Island of Weatheria is right above the island.

"Don't use lightning!" said Haredas "You don't want to hit any of the civilians!"

"The bubbles really get in the way here!" said one of the scientists. "But the winds are magnificent, all around the Sabaody Archipelago!"

"Nami was such a good child," said Haredas. "I wish her the best, but it's going to be awfully lonely in Weatheria from here on out."

XXX

Back on the island…

"This is the fifth platoon reporting the center of Grove 42! The second platoon went on, ahead of us! Their report is completely negative!"

"**Negative?! What do you mean?!"**

"They say that the Straw Hat Luffy and Cat Burglar Nami fled on White Wolf Blizzard's back while following a giant bird!"

"**A bird?! What are you guys doing over there?!"**

It is revealed that the second platoon is now down on their hands and knees, completely depressed.

"I wish I was a flea…" muttered a Marine soldier.

"I'm finished," said another. "I'd rather be moss."

Up above, Perona is floating in the air.

"Humph," she muttered. "What a pain." She then looked out to sea before she clutched her stuffed toy. "Now I need to find a new boy toy."

In a different part of the grove…

"We're being held up by…an expected contingency!"

It is revealed that the Marines have been held up by the cross-dressers of the Peachy Kingdom!

"Why did you turn down my invitation?!"

"You're not shy, are you?"

"Let's go and have tea, together!"

"Our hearts are about to crushed!"

"**WHAT?!"**

_Now's your chance, Sanji!_ thought one of the cross-dressers, winking his eye.

XXX

Sanji suddenly gasped and clutched his heart.

"Sanji?" Usopp called. "What's wrong?! You okay?!"

"I-I'm fine," said Sanji. "It just felt like…someone was trying to rip my heart out!"

**CLAP! CLAP!** Nami clapped her hands, getting everyone's attention.

"Okay, guys!" she called. "Eyes and ears on me! A coated ship is less susceptible to several different kinds of pressure. To reiterate, coated ships have very little buoyancy. If we removed the buoyancy pouch supporting us, we'd sink."

"We understand," said Luffy and Zoro.

"Right," Nami said, sarcastically. "Of course you idiots don't understand. Some things never change."

"Oh, Miss Nami!" Brook said. "I almost forgot to ask! Since it's been two years, then may I see your-"

"NO!" Nami shouted.

**THWAK!** She kicked Brook in the skull, sending him flying into a wall.

"I didn't show you two years ago!" Nami shouted. "So what the HELL makes you think I'll show you, now?!"

"Ugh…" Brook moaned. "You see? I'm so happy to see you…my chest is shaking…even though I don't have one."

"Yep…definitely a lot more scary," Luffy muttered.

**SPLASH!** Franky jumped up onto the ship from underwater.

"I removed the buoyancy pouch," he said.

"Good," Nami said. "Guys! We're about to submerge! Man the sails!"

"The sails?" Chopper repeated. "But why?"

"Because a coated ship is propelled by ocean currents instead of the wind," said Robin.

"Really?" Usopp asked. "I thought we'd get there automatically once we went underwater!"

"Nami!" Luffy called, standing against the mast. "Are we getting under way?"

"Aye aye, Captain!" Nami said, smiling. "Go ahead."

Luffy grinned.

"Attention, Straw Hat Crew!" he called. "I have a lot of stuff I wanna talk to you guys about, but for now, I just wanna say thank you for going along with my selfishness for the past two years!"

Everyone smiled at Luffy.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Sanji said. "It wouldn't be the last time, either."

"You got that right!" Usopp agreed. "But then, when he is ever not like this?"

**SPLASH!** The _Sunny_ submerged under the water.

"Rear Admiral!" called a soldier from the Marine battleship. "The Straw Hats are going underwater!"

"No!" the Rear Admiral cried before he turned to Hancock…with hearts in his eyes. "You bitch! Do you have any idea what you've done?! It's like you wanted them to escape!"

"Rear Admiral!" the soldiers cried, also with hearts in their eyes.

XXX

**FWAP!** The Straw Hats' Jolly Roger flapped in the water.

"SET SAIL~!" Luffy yelled. "FISHMAN ISLAND, HERE WE COME~!"

"YEAAAAAAAAAHH!" the Straw Hat Pirates cheered.

_**ARROOOOOOOOOOO~!**_ Blizzard howled loudly along with his crewmates.

At last, the Straw Hat Pirates have been reunited, and now, they are making their way to their long-planned destination: Fishman Island. From this point on…there will be no going back.

**GO TO NEW WORLD…**

* * *

Man! That was fast, but then again, this is a short arc!

Review, please!


End file.
